“US Should Not View Pakistan Through India’s Lens: Former FM Hina Khar”

New York [US], August 17: Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has urged the United States to reassess its South Asia policy, warning against viewing Pakistan solely through the prism of its relationship with India.

In an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO Media, Khar accused India of acting as a “belligerent” and “hegemonic” state, citing New Delhi’s strikes on Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. She claimed such actions set a dangerous precedent. “India, a very large, what I call a belligerent country, decides that if there is a security lapse in their own territory… now the rest of the world also has the right to launch missile strikes into another country, which also happens to be a nuclear state,” she said.

Khar further argued that Washington’s strategic tilt toward New Delhi has undermined Pakistan’s independent contributions. “The US started viewing Pakistan exclusively from the Indian lens, which is exceptionally belligerent towards Pakistan… There must be a reality check,” she noted, while insisting that Pakistan still holds “relevance” for Washington.

Defending Islamabad’s close partnership with Beijing, Khar rejected the global narrative framing China as a threat. She described China as a “force of stability and economics,” highlighting its role in providing infrastructure and development support at a time when traditional lenders like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank scaled back.

“In the last decade, the world has noticed Pakistan and China’s strong strategic ties. These relations have been deep and historical. While China is now viewed as a competitor to the US, Pakistan sees it as a partner for growth and stability,” she added.

Khar’s remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and evolving geopolitical alignments in South Asia.