DAVOS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said US President Donald Trump expressed “good wishes” for Pakistan during a recent brief interaction with him at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The prime minister made the remarks while speaking to the media in London on Saturday.
The premier said he thanked the US president for his role in preventing a war between nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan and India.
Praising Trump’s peace efforts, he said millions of lives were saved by averting a looming war between two nuclear-armed powers in South Asia.
On several occasions, the US president has claimed to have stopped eight wars worldwide, including one between Pakistan and India.
Last year, Pakistan and India engaged in a military showdown, the worst between the old foes in decades, which was sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam area, which New Delhi alleged was backed by Pakistan.
Islamabad denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 men and offered to participate in a neutral probe into the deadly incident.
During the clashes, Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
To another query, PM Shehbaz said that they joined the Trump-led ‘Board of Peace’ with the hope that the initiative would help restore peace in Gaza.
PM Shehbaz and other world leaders on Thursday signed the charter for the “Board of Peace” headed by US president Donald Trump in Davos.
The premier expressed hope that Palestinians would be granted their rights with dignity and respect and that Gaza would be rebuilt.
According a The News report published earlier today, PM Shehbaz said that the US president asked him, “How is my favourite Field Marshal?”
The premier said that he responded by pointing towards Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who was seated in the front row among the guests. Television channels worldwide showed PM Shehbaz and President Trump pointing towards the Field Marshal during the signing ceremony of the members of the Board of Peace in Davos.
The prime minister had said that he highly appreciated President Trump for initiating the Board of Peace, calling it an important step towards restoring peace in the war-torn region.
“I told President Trump that if he succeeds in ensuring peace, dignity and basic rights for the Palestinian people, and if Gaza is successfully reconstructed, history would remember this initiative as his great legacy,” the prime minister added.
