Pakistan has no problem with US developing partnership with India: Pak minister

Islamabad, June 17 (IANS) Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Islamabad does not have any problem with the United States (US) developing a partnership with India if it is not at the cost of Pakistan, the media reported.

During an exclusive interview with American magazine Newsweek, the defence minister said, India is a very big market of over 1.3 billion people, Geo News reported.

"Everywhere in the world, the other big economies will need to have them as partners. But Pakistan is not a very big economy, and (is) a vulnerable economy," he added, Geo News reported.

"All we have is a geographical location, which is strategic, which attracts, I would say, not all the good things, it sometimes attracts some things which really make us even more vulnerable," the Minister said.

The minister said he personally feels that some appreciation is required in Washington about their situation, and they should not be pushed into a situation where they have to make some very hard choices, Geo News reported.

He maintained that Pakistan has common borders with China, Afghanistan, Iran and India, adding: "We would like to have good relationships with them."

"We would like to improve our relationships with them if the relationship is not good. We want to live in peace," he added. The minister said that Pakistan gives great value to its ties with the US, adding: "We want that relationship to flourish."

To another question, the defence minister said that Pakistan's nuclear capability, or nuclear assets, are not for any jingoistic or hostile intentions, Geo News reported.