Many Pakistanis are smarting from Tillerson’s visit. But the prime minister is taking the long view

As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson cut a sharp swath through the region this week — doubling down on charges that Pakistan is sheltering militants, warmly embracing its archrival India and sympathizing with officials in war-torn Afghanistan — some Pakistani officials have reacted with outrage and anger.

But Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi seems to be taking a longer, cooler view. While others were calling Tillerson’s tour a slap in the face, Abbasi said in an interview Thursday that his four-hour visit for high-level talks here Tuesday helped the U.S. official “appreciate our point of view.”

Relations between the longtime allies have reached a historic low point in recent months. With the Afghan war dragging on, the Trump administration has accused Pakistan of harboring anti-Afghan militias and threatened serious reprisals if it continues. Pakistan has denied the charges while blaming Afghanistan and India as threats to its security.

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

Featured image of SECSTATE Tillerson and Indian PM Narendra Modi courtesy of Wikipedia