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US cannot dictate Pakistan: congresswoman
By Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
DALLAS Texas: Congresswoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson, has rejected the impression that Washington could pull the strings in Islamabad against the monetary assistance United States of America extended to Pakistan.Congresswoman Johnson said this while talking to Jang Group correspondent during a special fundraising reception for US Congress candidate Marc Veasey held here in Dallas.
Johnson, who has been representing Dallas in US Congress for the last 40 years, said that’s not the way it worked.
“Well we neither could run nor dictate any other country. Extension of monetary assistance does not give the donor country any right to mandate the beneficiary state” said she.
Congresswoman said, however, we encouraged free and fair elections as well as democracy.
Johnson said US always advised states to abide by their constitutional framework strictly, which was not always an easy task. Giving an example of her country, she said, even in US a constitution was in place but authorities had to constantly struggle to make sure it was followed on day-to-day basis. She said adding that American government was committed to its constitution, the NATO, and the UN.
She said a democracy could only be established in a country when people make laws acceptable to themselves, adding it could not be done from the outside but the inside. Thus, people need to elect only those who could truly represent them, she said.
Talking about the dialogue with Taliban she said talks were an essential part of democracy. She said if the dialogue process continued a mutual understanding could be reached sooner or later.
She rejected the impression that US is not a true friend of Pakistan.
“Pakistan is an ally of US, however the ties between both the countries have not been very smooth lately.”
“We have to look after our own people first and only then promise assistance to other nations. We have got to rebuild before we can offer any assistance to anybody”, said the congresswoman.
A number of representatives of Pakistani community in Dallas including Ghulam Jangda, Syed Fayyaz Hassan, Aftab Siddiqui, Raja Zahid, Hadi Jawwad, Mohsin Mandavia and Raja Muzaffar were present during the Q&A session with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Courtesy www.geo.tv