Washington [US], Oct 15: In perhaps the most candid statement made against it, US President Joe Biden described Pakistan as “one of the most dangerous nations” in the world with holds “nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
The US President made these remarks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Reception in Los Angeles (California), during which he berated both China and Russia.
The remarks on Pakistan were made while Biden was talking about US foreign policy with regard to China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Biden concluded by saying he considered Pakistan to be the most dangerous country in the world.
“This is a guy (Xi Jinping) who understands what he wants but has an enormous, enormous array of problems. How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” said Biden, as quoted in a White House press release of his remarks at the Democratic party event.
Biden’s remarks could be seen as a setback to the Shehbaz Sharif government’s bid to improve ties with the US.
At the event, Biden said there were enormous opportunities for the US to change the dynamic in the second quarter of the 21st century.
“So, folks, there’s a lot going on. A lot going on. But there’s also enormous opportunities for the United States to change the dynamic in the second quarter of the 21st century,” the US president said.
These comments come two days after the release of the US’ National Security Strategy. The 48-page document makes no reference to Pakistan.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration released the Congress mandated key policy document, underlining the threat posed to the US by both China and Russia.
The National Security Strategy states that China and Russia who earlier this year announced a “no-limits partnership” are increasingly aligned with each other but the challenges they pose are distinct.
“We will prioritize maintaining an enduring competitive edge over the PRC while constraining a still profoundly dangerous Russia,” it adds.
The policy document contends that competition with China is most pronounced in the Indo-Pacific, but it is also increasingly global.
The US Security Strategy highlighted that the next ten years will be a decisive decade of competition with China.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the document says Moscow’s “imperialist foreign policy” culminated “in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to topple its government and bring it under Russian control.” (Agencies)

Islamabad, Oct 15: A former high court chief justice of Pakistan’s Balochistan province was shot dead outside a mosque on Friday, police officials said.
Assailants opened fire at Muhammad Noor Meskanzai outside the mosque in the Kharan area, which left him gravely injured, Kharan Superintendent of Police Asif Halim told Dawn.
The former chief justice was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries, the report said.
Expressing condolences over the death of the “fearless judge”, Balochistan chief minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said his services were “unforgettable”.
Bizenjo said that the “cowardly attacks of the enemies of peace cannot intimidate the nation”.
Maskanzai authored the landmark judgement that declared the Riba-based banking system against the Sharia.
Quetta Bar Association (QBA) President Ajmal Khan Kakar also condemned Muskanzai’s killing. He said every citizen of Pakistan was deeply saddened by the death of the former judge.
“We strongly condemn this incident and demand that the killers must immediately be arrest and brought to book,” Ajmal Kakar was quoted as saying by Dawn.
This comes amid the deteriorating security situation in the country.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that terror activities had witnessed a sharp increase.
The highest number of terror incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in September, said an Islamabad-based think tank pointed to the resumption of attacks by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The number of terror attacks increased in September compared to August this year, the Dawn said in an earlier report citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
September witnessed 42 terrorist attacks with an increase of 35 per cent compared to August. The Pakistani think tank also observed an increase of 106 per cent in violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
In August this year, the think tank said the militants carried out 31 attacks across Pakistan, in which 37 people were killed and 55 others injured. (Agencies)