[Geo News] President Asif Ali Zardari Monday stressed the need for greater cooperation and enhanced level of trust between Pakistan and the United States (US) in view of their ongoing convergence of interests.Talking to a US delegation comprising Senator Claire Conner McCaskill and Senator Jeff Merkley, the President said Pakistan looked towards the international community--the developed world especially-for strategic political and economic support to overcome the problems in the wake of fight against militancy.
President Zardari said the international community owes help to Pakistan in overcoming its current difficulties so that the country could play its role at international as well as regional level effectively.
President Zardari said history bears witness to the fact that Pakistan always had to pay a heavy price in neutralizing the threats endangering the world peace and safe future of our generations. The region was unfortunately abandoned in the past but this time it is hoped that the international community would not repeat the same mistake.
The President said that Pakistan had suffered a huge loss of over 35 billion dollars during the last eight years as a result of the fight against militancy in addition to the colossal and unquantifiable cost in terms of social and human losses which had almost crippled the nation's economy.
While discussing current situation in Afghanistan, the President said that Pakistan is committed to work with Afghanistan and the international community for the restoration of peace and stability in the country. He said that dialogue and national reconciliation process in Afghanistan needed to be Afghan driven.
The President appreciated the US leadership for its interest and active partnership with Pakistan, however, he urged the US administration to review its various policies that undermine the trust between the people of the two countries.
The President said that Pakistan welcomed US declarations of support to Pakistan's security and stability and economic development and emphasized that the continued support must be based on mutual respect and trust.
The President emphasized the need for democratic stability in Pakistan which he said could be ensured by pursuing a well structured economic development agenda in which the international community had a great role to play.
Senator Claire McCaskill thanked the President for meeting the delegation and said that the United States appreciates the role being played by the security agencies and the people of Pakistan and the sacrifices made in fighting the menace of terrorism and would continue to assist Pakistan.
Congressmen Barron Hill and Michael Turner were also present along with US ambassador Ms. Anne W. Patterson. Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad Ahmed Khan, Senator Sughra Imam, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and other senior officials also present attended the meeting.
'Pakistan doesn't want US interference in country's affairs'
[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, has said Pakistan doesn't want America to interfere in its affairs nor does the US want to do so.
Talking to senior journalists and columnists at a reception hosted in his honour at the Governor's House on Sunday, Haqqani said the US wants a stable democracy in Pakistan, which it believes matches its foreign policy interests. Haqqani further stated that good ties with the US were significant for the country for the development of secure, stable and prosperous Pakistan.
To a question about the contacts of the US administration with political leadership of Pakistan, Haqqani said contacts did exist between the two sides but it didn't mean that US was providing any support to any political force. He asserted that contacts must take place between the sides but this notion that US was helping any force to derail democracy in Pakistan wasn't true. He stated this was true that dictatorships in Pakistan had suited the US interests in the past but under President Obama there was a changed atmosphere there. He said Pakistan was dependent on the US for military and economic assistance. He said no other country in the world, including China, was willing to give military assistance to Pakistan free of cost. He said the US was the only country which could donate its used military equipment to Pakistan.
He said Pakistani government was involved in negotiations with the US authorities to get its nuclear programme "legitimised". He said defence was a key issue for Pakistan.