Pakistan concerned over growing Indo-US ties

Pakistan has expressed concern over growing strategic ties between India and the US, a day after the two countries signed a number of agreements for security cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US.

Addressing a conference at the Foreign Office on Thursday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the US approaches Pakistan whenever it needs it and abandons when it does not need the country.

"Pakistan will convey its concerns to the US over the latest issues in the bilateral ties," Aziz.

A high-level meeting is scheduled to take place between Pakistan and the US officials on Friday in Islamabad.

"We firmly conveyed it to the US that maintaining effective nuclear deterrence is critical for Pakistan's security and only Pakistan itself can determine how it should respond to growing strategic imbalance in South Asia," he said.

Aziz said Pakistan has decided to take up the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, alleged Indian spy arrested in Balochistan, with the UN and other international forums.

He said the statement made by Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) that no evidence linked Pakistan to the January 2 Pathankot attack in Punjab has vindicated Pakistan's position in attack probe.

Aziz's statement comes as Modi wrapped up a visit to Washington as one of President Barack Obama's closest international partners.

The developing Indo-US relationship is seen as a foreign policy success for the Obama administration.

Washington views India as an important part of its re-balance to Asia and as a counterweight to China, Dawn online reported.

The two countries have finalised various agreements that would make it possible for their militaries to cooperate more closely in the future. Under one such agreement, an American company will build six nuclear reactors in India.

The perpetually oscillating Pakistan-US relationship is once again at low as reflected by the congressional restriction on financing of F-16 fighters' sale from Foreign Military Financing programme, because of which Pakistan lost the opportunity to buy the jets.

The relationship was further strained when the US carried out a drone strike in Balochistan, killing Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour. Pakistan termed it as a violation of the country's sovereignty.