NEW YORK, (DNA) – The U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Amb. Alice Wells, called on Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York today.

The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan desired a broad based relationship with the United States that was based on mutual respect and shared interests.

Foreign Secretary Janjua said Pakistan wanted to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Highlighting the steps Pakistan had taken to engage with the Afghan government, she reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a comprehensive political reconciliation process in Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary reiterated Pakistan’s concern over the presence of ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan, which were exploited by militant groups for launching terrorist attacks in the region. She briefed Amb. Wells on the measures Pakistan was taking to secure the Pakistan-Afghanistan  border.

The Foreign Secretary also drew the senior U.S. official’s attention to the ongoing human rights violations being committed by Indian forces in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. She said recent events had again demonstrated India’s stubborn unwillingness to engage with Pakistan.

Amb. Wells said the United States looked forward to working with the new Government. She said Pakistan’s support was critical for peace in Afghanistan and appreciated the new Government’s policy of reaching out to the Afghan government.