WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has warned that advanced weapons left behind during the withdrawal from Afghanistan are being misused and are adversely affecting Pakistan’s peace and security.
He said that the links of terrorist activities taking place inside Pakistan can be traced back to Afghanistan, says a statement issued by the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC.
Ambassador Sheikh noted that terrorist incidents in Pakistan increased by 40 percent in 2024 followed by a further 25 percent rise in 2025, underscoring the seriousness of the threat posed by the proliferation of sophisticated weaponry in the wrong hands.
The ambassador made these remarks during a meeting with Chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Mike Rogers, as part of his ongoing engagements with senior American leadership.
During the meeting, both sides held a detailed exchange of views on Pakistan-US relations, regional security, and avenues for enhanced bilateral cooperation.
Ambassador Sheikh stated that 2025 had been an important year marked by significant achievements in Pakistan-US relations and expressed confidence that the scope of bilateral cooperation would be further expanded in 2026.
He added that Pakistan’s national security perspective was increasingly focused on geo-economics rather than traditional geopolitics, with the aim of promoting sustainable development and regional connectivity.
Referring to the events of May 2025, the ambassador drew attention to India’s irresponsible and aggressive behavior, which, he said, posed serious risks to regional security and dangerously lowered the threshold for aggression.
He warned that confrontation between two nuclear-armed states had extended beyond conventional warfare to the use of advanced and emerging technologies.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation in a region home to 1.7 billion people, Ambassador Sheikh described the use of dual-capable weapons such as BrahMos missiles as extremely alarming. He cautioned that any decision based on misperceptions or flawed assumptions could prove highly damaging to regional peace and stability.
He observed that despite India’s declared position on the Indo-Pacific, the May 2025 crisis demonstrated that a significant portion of India’s military capabilities remained primarily focused against Pakistan. Ambassador Sheikh praised the political foresight and personal engagement of the US President in helping to defuse and manage the May crisis.
Reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding position, the ambassador said the core unresolved issue between Pakistan and India remains the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people. He said sustained engagement and continued commitment by the United States are vital for achieving durable peace and stability in South Asia.
The meeting concluded with the resolve between both sides to establish structured and institutionalized dialogue mechanisms at the earliest in order to address matters of mutual interest and further strengthen Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation.
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