VOA Exclusive: Pakistan's President Says His Country Does Not Want to Become Base of US Counterterror

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi sat down with VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem this week for an exclusive interview to discuss the impact on the region of the United States withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, how Pakistan sees its future relationship with its western neighbor, and whether putting forward a resolution in parliament to expel the French ambassador from the country, over French support for publication of caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, is dangerous.

The answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. Q: How do you see the impact on the region and on Pakistan of the United States withdrawing forces from Afghanistan? A: It’s a very important announcement. The region has been looking forward to some settlement, and the Doha talks came to a culmination with an agreement on the withdrawal of U.S. forces. I think that’s the right direction to go.