'No Strategic Logic for US to Embrace Pakistan, Should Designate Them as State Sponsor of Terrorism': Former Pentagon Official

Washington: Claiming "no strategic logic" for the United States embracing Islamabad, former Pentagon official Michael Rubin said Pakistan should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism".

He also objected to Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's visit to White House in June and said Munir "should be arrested rather than honoured" if he comes to the US.

"There is no strategic logic for the United States embracing Pakistan. It should not be a major non-NATO ally. It should be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, period. If Asim Munir comes to the United States, he should be arrested rather than honoured", he said.

Michael Rubin further said that the US need to offer a "vocal apology" to India for their actions, such as the imposition of additional 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports in August due to its purchase of Russian oil.

He added that even though US President Trump "doesn't like to apologise," the interest of the US surmounts "one man's ego".

"What we need is quiet diplomacy behind the scenes, and perhaps, at some point, a more vocal apology from the United States for the way we have treated India over the past year...President Donald Trump doesn't like to apologise, but the interests of the United States, world democracies are much more important than one man's ego, no matter how inflated it is", he said.

Trade tensions have surfaced, with the US imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports compared to 19 per cent for Pakistan, as well as signing agreements with Islamabad on mineral mining and oil exploration.

Pakistan had welcomed Trump's claims, even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

In May, following India's Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which came in retaliation to Pakistan's sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people in the name of religion, both countries had agreed to halt the full-scale military action, after the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called their Indian counterpart for cessation of hostilities.

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