News
Saturday, July 10, 2010
US must adopt unbiased approach in region: Gilani
* PM says Washington should give its relations with Islamabad due importance
* Calls for concerted efforts to bridge Pak-US trust gap
* Friendly countries like US must share credible and actionable information rather than indulging in blame game
* Public support for military operations can dissipate if rehabilitation not given priorityStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday underlined the need for a fair and non-discriminatory approach on the part of the United States in its relations with regional countries, especially when the people and the armed forces of Pakistan are making unparalleled sacrifices in this war.
An official handout – issued after the prime minister’s meeting with US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin, and member of the committee Jack Read – quoted Gilani as saying that Pakistan was doing its utmost to strengthen cooperation with the US in intelligence-sharing and in the fields of defence to root out terrorism and militancy from its territory.
He said the government had always tried to address the public’s misperceptions about Pakistan-US relations and expected the US government to also do the same on its side and give the importance of its relations with Pakistan what it deserved.
The prime minister said Pakistan wanted to have good neighbourly relations with India and sought peaceful resolution of all contentious issues, particularly Kashmir and water disputes between the two countries to be able to entirely focus its attention on its western border.
Trust deficit: He admitted that trust deficit between Pakistan and the US still existed and removing it would be a key to success in achieving goals against terrorism.
Gilani said Pakistan was doing its utmost to strengthen cooperation with the US in intelligence sharing and in the fields of defence to root out terrorism and militancy from its territory.
Blame game: He said that the government expected friendly countries like the US to share with it credible and actionable information rather than indulging in a blame game to achieve the shared and common goal of succeeding against terrorism.
Public support: He told the US officials that the existing support by the people of Pakistan for the country’s military operations could dissipate unless there was socio-economic development and rehabilitation of the infrastructure in the areas affected by terrorism.
He said the US and other economic partners of the country must realise that time to address the root causes of terrorism, which are poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease and un-employment, was running out.
The prime minister said the entire nation, including all institutions, were working in harmony to curb terrorism and extremism.
He emphasised the importance of rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the cleared areas, while regretting that pledges of assistance to Pakistan towards that end still remained unfulfilled.
He said the situation had exacerbated under the circumstances, as Pakistan was now constrained to divert its development budget towards war efforts.
The prime minister said peace and stability in Afghanistan was of utmost importance to the government as it was inextricably linked to peace and stability in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had repeatedly offered its assistance for building Afghan institutions, providing training to the Afghan Army, police and bureaucracy.
He said Pakistan was constructively engaging with the US and other international partners to promote the shared goals of peace, security and development in Afghanistan.
Pakistan was ready to help the government of Afghanistan in its reconciliation and reintegration policy, if it so desired.
He informed the US Senators that the Afghan foreign minister, who had recently visited Islamabad, had been asked by the government to share with it the Afghan government’s plans, adding that Pakistan was still awaiting the Afghan response.
He said Pakistan believed that all the ethnic groups in Afghanistan needed to be politically engaged to supplement efforts for sustainable stability.
Levin and Reed acknowledged the fact that relations between Pakistan and the US had remained on an upward trajectory and had been significantly strengthened since the installation of the democratic government in Pakistan.
They commended the prime minister for his constructive and pro-active role in pursuing cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism and normalising ties with Afghanistan and India.
They agreed with the prime minister that there was an urgent need to remove the mistrust, which still prevailed on both sides.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk