Jaishankar recalls Laden’s killing, cautions against US-Pakistan ‘politics of convenience’

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, August 24, 2025: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that while the United States and Pakistan share a long history, they also have a tendency to “overlook that history,” citing the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011.

Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Jaishankar was responding to a question on the reported realignment of US-Pakistan ties under the Trump administration.

“They have a history with each other. And they have a history of overlooking that history. It is not the first time we have seen things,” he said. Referring to the Pakistan military, he added, “It is the same military which went to Abbottabad and found, you know who, there.”

Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, in a secret operation by US Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, a garrison town near Islamabad. Pakistan was not informed about the mission in advance.

Jaishankar noted that countries often indulge in the “politics of convenience,” driven by tactical gains and short-term calculations. His remarks came weeks after Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir was hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House.

On India-US relations, Jaishankar underlined their “structural strengths” and resilience. “I respond to the challenge of the day, but always keeping in mind the larger strengths of the relationship. That is what guides me,” he said.

Asked about Trump’s repeated claims of having resolved a recent India-Pakistan military standoff, Jaishankar clarified that the conflict ended through direct negotiations between New Delhi and Islamabad.