Following the imposition of trade tariffs on Pakistan by the US government, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh stated on Thursday that Islamabad would pursue “constructive diplomacy” to address the issue with Washington.
Speaking on Geo News’ program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Sheikh revealed that he was scheduled to meet the US trade representative later today to discuss the newly imposed tariffs and explore possible resolutions.
He clarified that the tariffs were not exclusively targeted at Pakistan but were part of broader measures affecting multiple countries engaged in trade with the US. He also noted that the move had been anticipated before its official implementation.
Regarding the Trump administration’s decision, the ambassador emphasized that Pakistan, like other affected nations, would engage in diplomatic dialogue with Washington to seek a favorable outcome.
Pakistan considered the US as its most important trading partner. If Islamabad filters out those countries in terms of trade volume, then the US would be top of the list, the envoy said adding that the US is an important market for Pakistan.
He also emphasised that trade ties remained a key dimension in bilateral relations between both countries which stayed constant in all phases of the history.
Pakistan is also seeking enhancement of trade volume with the US and expects good results from the upcoming negotiations, the ambassador said.
He detailed that the talks will be held under a comprehensive process under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) where the matters related to tariffs will be discussed.
Both sides are to hold talks on enhancing bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, especially the IT sector as Pakistani youth are ranked second after the US in freelancing, he said.
He also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement to reduce electricity rates would also help Pakistan to compete with other countries in product exports as the move would significantly reduce the production cost for local industries.
Responding to a query related to potential visa and travel restrictions on Pakistanis, Ambassador Sheikh admitted that the US government was reviewing its visa and travel policies, however, no final decision has been taken by the Trump administration so far.
When questioned about whether the US government conveyed any reservations regarding the Pakistani diaspora, Sheikh replied that Pakistan has always cooperated with the US and will continue cooperating with US authorities on international laws in case of any reservations.
Source: The News
