ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz stated on Tuesday that criticism by certain US Congress members against Pakistan is not reflective of the actual US policy.

“Recently an amendment to cut assistance for Pakistan was defeated in Congress. It shows that a wide section of the Congress does not share the sentiments of a select few members,” Aziz said while speaking in the Senate.

The advisor briefed the house over the remarks made by the US congressional panel which demanded cutting off all US assistance to Pakistan, in order to persuade Islamabad to act against the Afghan Taliban groups allegedly using its territory to launch operations into Afghanistan.

“The US State Department, just a day after Congress’ hearing, publically recognised Pakistan’s meaningful progress in eliminating safe havens of terrorists and also recognised the fact the country has paid huge cost fighting terrorism.”

He also informed the upper house that the Foreign Relations Committee of US congress closely observes developments in Pak-US relations as Pakistan is major recipient of US assistance.

“Interest of the Congress is understandable regarding how Pakistan spends its assistance which should be helping the US in achieving its objectives,” Aziz said.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and our military leadership have met the Congressional committee leaders during their visits,” Aziz informed the senate.

Pakistan is vigilant and is closely engaging with the US at various levels to ensure its national interest and priorities are duly considered by the US decision makerd, he maintained.

“For making effective linkages with the next administration and to neutralise the negative moves of anti-Pakistan lobbies, we are also in the process of hiring a professional lobbying firm in Washington,” he added.

Rocky relationship

Earlier in July, a US congressional panel has demanded cutting off all US assistance to Pakistan to persuade Islamabad to act against the Afghan Taliban groups allegedly using its territory to launch operations into Afghanistan.

Aziz had stated the criticism was motivated by “baseless concerns” of “a section of US lawmakers”.

Some US lawmakers and witnesses also suggested declaring Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism and imposing economic sanctions if Islamabad did not eliminate the alleged terrorist safe havens on its territory.

Aziz had also conceded earlier that relations with the US had been under stress for the past three months because of conditions Washington had attached to the funding of F-16s sale.

The adviser said that Pakistan-US relations had come to a standstill in 2011 because of unfortunate incidents of WikiLeaks, Raymond Davis, Abbottabad operation, Datta Khel and Salala. Since 2013, he said Pakistan’s relations with the US had witnessed an “upward trajectory”.

“In the past three months, however, this upward trajectory in relations has witnessed a downward slide, as reflected in a decision of the US Congress to block partial funding for eight F-16 aircraft,” he had said.