ISLAMABAD, June 12: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told a US Congressional delegation on Tuesday that the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was important and both sides simply could not afford to ignore this fact.

“Both sides have shared goals of peace and prosperity in the region,” she said and called for working together to strengthen the relationship based on mutual trust and mutual respect.

The US delegation led by Representative Todd Platts, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and comprising Representative Stephen Lynch, Representative Glenn Thompson, Representative Tom Marino and Representative John Fleming had called on Ms Khar at the Foreign Office. The US Congressmen were briefed on the current status and challenges of the relationship following the Salala incident, parliament’s recommendations on re-engagement with the US and the regional situation.

They agreed on the need to overcome the current tensions in the ties and work for building a holistic relationship taking into account shared interests. They also agreed that steps should be taken to boost public confidence on both sides.—APP