News
Monday, October 17, 2011
Pak-US ties improving but challenges remain: Haqqani
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani said that the democratic government in Pakistan was pursuing the country’s national interests while conducting the country’s international relations, while indicating an improvement in Pakistan-US ties after weeks of heated rhetoric appeared to give way to the normal course of diplomacy.
Ambassador Haqqani, while addressing a gathering of the Pakistani American community in Portland in the Oregon state, said that challenges remained in the bilateral ties but that relations were returning to normalcy through quiet diplomacy.
Officials in both capitals were toning down tough rhetoric. “Both Islamabad and Washington realise they need each other and a strong, positive bilateral relationship is in the best interest of the two countries and their people,” he told the gathering.
The ambassador stressed that democratic institutions were working to secure Pakistan’s interests in the country’s relations with the international community.
Haqqani spoke in the backdrop of recent tensions in the relationship, starting with Admiral Mike Mullen’s assertions days before his retirement last month that the Afghan Haqqani militants had Pakistani support in carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.
After a series of meetings between officials of the two anti-terror partners, tensions in the relationship eased somewhat, which is vital not only in the bilateral context, but also for the successful outcome of the decade-old Afghan conflict.
The Pakistani ambassador said that said despite resource constraints, the government was striving to grapple with devastation caused by massive floods in Sindh and parts of Balochistan.
He praised the Pakistani diaspora and urged them to assist the country with generous contributions in dealing with the floods that had displaced millions and destroyed infrastructure and the vital cotton crop over huge swathes of agricultural land.
Ambassador Haqqani also drew the attention of the hardworking Pakistani-American community to the importance of their participation in mainstream American politics through association with local political and public causes. He particularly highlighted the need for Pakistani-Americans to be articulate and for the younger generation to avail the tremendous opportunities in think-tanks, research institutions and the print and electronic media.
A vibrant Pakistani-American community would serve the interests of both countries, he noted. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk