ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, welcomed President Donald J. Trump’s announcement to withdraw U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
In a phone call with U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Dar expressed appreciation for the decision and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with Washington.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, Waltz conveyed Trump’s gratitude for Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts.
“Pakistan looks forward to building on its longstanding and broad-based relationship with the United States under President Trump and his administration,” the statement said, adding that Dar reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to continued cooperation on counterterrorism.
The two sides also pledged to enhance cooperation in key sectors, including information technology, energy, and minerals, the statement said. Additionally, both officials agreed to maintain dialogue on trade, investment, climate change, and health as part of a broader agenda.
Trump, in an address to Congress on Tuesday, praised Pakistan for arresting and handing over the suspect behind the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport, an attack claimed by ISIS-K that killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later stated that the individual was an Afghan national who had been apprehended near the country’s border with Afghanistan.
