News
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Obama pledges support for democracy, economic reforms
* US president says Washington wants to help Pakistan in overcoming its difficulties and challenges
* Zardari says Pakistan does not want to be a permanent recipient of aid
WASHINGTON: United States President Barack Obama has stressed US support for Pakistan during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday and reiterated plans to visit Pakistan later this year.
The US president was very clear in asserting that the US wanted to help Pakistan in overcoming its difficulties and challenges and also recognised the achievements that had been accomplished in fighting terrorism, building democracy and instituting economic reforms. Obama appreciated Islamabad’s resolve to build a “moderate democratic Pakistan which is the strongest guarantee against terrorist threat in our region,” Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, said in a post-meeting briefing.
The US president “unequivocally” stressed US support for democracy in Pakistan, the envoy added.
The discussion focused on both the countries shared efforts to fight terrorism and promote regional stability, specifically on the importance of cooperating toward a peaceful and stable outcome in Afghanistan, the White House said in a statement following the meeting at the Oval Office.
Obama also expressed his condolences over the assassination of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and said he was, like many people around the world and in Pakistan, distressed by the reaction of some people in Pakistan who were reluctant to condemn that assassination.
“He appreciated the stance of the government of Pakistan in wanting to pursue the perpetrators of this crime as well as to continue to work toward building a moderate, democratic Pakistan, which is the strongest guarantee against the success of terrorists in our region,” Haqqani added.
President Zardari told his counterpart that Pakistan wanted to stand on its feet economically and did not intend to remain a permanent recipient of aid. “We want to be able to stand on our feet. And for that we need economic reforms and we are cognisant of that, and working on that and that Pakistan and the US are partners,” Haqqani quoted the president as saying.
Zardari held a closed-door meeting with Obama after flying into Washington for a memorial service for Richard Holbrooke, the late US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan which has been a top priority for the US administration.
Zardari also said Pakistan would deal with religious sensitivies of its people in accordance with its own circumstances and realities. He also explained the “needs and requirements” for Pakistan’s fragile economy.
“President Obama and Secretary Clinton have said that the US will over the next few days find ways to strengthen Pakistan’s economic reform process, while taking into consideration social and political factors,” Haqqani said. The meeting between the two countries’ premiers took place just days after US Vice President Joe Biden met President Zardari and other top leaders in Islamabad on Wednesday, assuring of Washington’s commitment to long-term relationship with Pakistan.
The Obama administration believes that efforts to bring economic stability and build democratic institutions are crucial in targeting Pakistan, a nuclear power where some of the world’s most-wanted extremists are holed up. Zardari flew to Washington to attend a memorial service on Friday for Richard Holbrooke, the veteran diplomat who was Obama’s special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk