Pakistan Expects Long-Term Ties with US, Says Haqqani

Washington, DC: Ambassador Husain Haqqani has said Pakistan expects a long-term partnership, not a transaction, with the US. He made this comment while speaking at the Rumi Forum here.
He talked about Pakistan’s ongoing fight against militants and its resolve to move forward as a force for economic progress and stability in the region.
Ambassador Haqqani said Pakistan expected continued US assistance, adding that his country was confronted with economic and security challenges and trying to resolve disputes with India. With sustained investment of time and money in key economic and education areas, Haqqani believed that Pakistan could become a model, modern Muslim country.
The envoy told the forum that Pakistan was making its transition from an authoritarian culture to a democratic culture. He claimed the country could overcome the challenges of militancy in the long-term perspective through education.

Pakistan, he said, had the potential to move towards entrepreneurship and offer economic opportunities to its people, but it needed the continued support of its international friends.
The envoy talked about some of the challenges facing the region and stressed that Pakistan must go from the “crossroads of conflict” to the “crossroads of opportunity.”
Pakistan was the country where Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East all met, he pointed out while citing the tremendous economic and trade potential his country offered.
He said the fight against terrorism could be won through a comprehensive approach and not just military means. The multifaceted approach would include political, economic and educational reforms, he added.

 

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