US Wants More Influence Over Pakistan: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that expanding ties between the United States and Pakistan may grant America greater sway in Islamabad's decisions on various matters. Marco Rubio made these remarks in a joint interview with India Today, published on October 22 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai alongside US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. The full interview transcript was released by the US State Department.

Rubio addressed India's concerns regarding its partnership with Pakistan and its fight against terrorism. He assured India that the US's relationship with Pakistan has evolved to potentially increase its influence over Islamabad's decisions on various issues. "Our relationship with Pakistan is not new. And I think it's just developed in a way that allows us to have hopefully more influence over the decisions they make on a variety of topics," Rubio explained.

The US Secretary emphasized that the relationship with Pakistan does not undermine India's relationship with the US, stating, "In no way does the relationship with Pakistan come at the expense of our relationship with India." He also highlighted that the US seeks relationships with as many countries as possible due to its global presence and interests.

Rubio discussed the US's role during last year's India-Pakistan tensions, saying they leveraged their long-standing ties with India and the improving US-Pakistan relationship to prevent the situation from escalating into a wider conflict. "We'd prefer not to see war," Rubio stated, adding that the US would rather see both countries engage in business and commerce.

These remarks come as US-Pakistan relations have strengthened this year, with ongoing discussions on US investment in Pakistan's AI sector. The Foreign Office had also debunked rumors about Dar and Rubio exchanging information related to Iran's nuclear program.