US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker has said Pakistan, as a sovereign state, must safeguard itself

US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker has said Pakistan, as a sovereign state, must safeguard itself against falling into any country’s debt trap and ensure full implementation of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) reform programme to secure long-term economic stability.

According to media reports, speaking informally to reporters at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Sunday, where she attended the ceremony conferring the Nishan-e-Pakistan on Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Baker said Pakistan was free to maintain relations with any country, including China, but should carefully safeguard its economic sovereignty and interests.

She said Washington was aware of the sensitive nature of Pakistan-China relations but noted that projects leading to unsustainable debt were a matter of concern for the whole world.

Baker said Pakistan’s economic strategy could only succeed through full compliance with the IMF programme and emphasised that the World Bank was also providing meaningful support to Pakistan. Responding to a question on whether multilateral lenders were being overly strict, she said the IMF wanted Pakistan to adopt reforms that would lead to “a better and sustainable economy.

She added that Pakistan’s economic ties with the United States have always been strong and continue to progress, and stressed that Pakistan’s sovereignty remained extremely important for Washington. She said the US was assisting Pakistan with a big heart.

On a potential visit by President Donald Trump, Baker said he would come to Pakistan once his international schedule allowed