40 years ago, July 18, 1986: Reagan vows to help Pakistan

Speaking at a White House banquet, he said America was determined to see the Soviet troops out of Afghanistan and applauded Pakistan’s role in the Afghan problem. (Archive)

2 min readJul 18, 2026 07:06 AM IST

First published on: Jul 18, 2026 at 06:31 AM IST

President Ronald Reagan has vowed to stand by in defence of Pakistan’s sovereignty even in the face of what he called “increasing Soviet pressures”. Speaking at a White House banquet, he said America was determined to see the Soviet troops out of Afghanistan and applauded Pakistan’s role in the Afghan problem. He said the US understood and supported the aspirations of the people of Pakistan for greater prosperity and progress in a region free of tension and conflict. In this context he expressed support for improvement in Indo-Pakistan relations.

House tribute to Jagjivan Ram

Parliament adjourned without transacting regular business after paying glowing tributes to the late Jagjivan Ram, describing him as a formidable personality. The Speaker, Balram Jakhar, said that Jagjivan Ram was a father figure to the millions of depressed and backward classes in the country.