Pakistan urged to fulfil promises on infiltration: US back for long term, says Nancy
By Sabihuddin Ghausi
KARACHI, Jan 23: US ambassador Nancy J. Powell urged the Pakistan government on Thursday to live up to its promises to stop infiltration into occupied Kashmir.
She said Pakistan must “ensure that its pledges are implemented to prevent infiltration across the Line of Control and end the use of Pakistan as a platform for terrorism”.
Addressing an American Business Council lunch, the ambassador also said the United States was back in Pakistan for the long term, while making it clear “the new relationship between the United States and Pakistan is not just about September 11”.
“One important step could be a ceasefire along the Line of Control,” she suggested while reiterating her country’s desire to look for ways to encourage peace in Kashmir.
While conceding that normal relations between Pakistan and India “have not been restored”, she urged the business communities of Pakistan and India to work towards more normal and mutually profitable trade ties between the two countries.
“It may also be the time for SAARC to revisit the issue of a possible SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Association) in the subcontinent as a means of creating greater economic opportunity throughout South Asia,” Ms Powell said.
She read out from a prepared text calling her country’s relationship in post-September 11 period a “rebirth of long-term partnership between our two countries”. The American Business Council represents 56 American companies and multinationals doing business in Pakistan. About 165 top business leaders and senior executives attended the lunch.
The ambassador quoted Gen Musharraf’s pledge made a year ago to replace ignorance and intolerance with education, security and development, and said: “Both the US and Pakistan realize that their own security and well-being can be enhanced only if the battles against poverty, disease and ignorance are successful, only if the war against terrorism is won, and only if the people around the globe are free and can enjoy their fundamental rights.”
She recalled America’s aid package to promote Pakistan’s economy, security and human resources. On security assistance, the US envoy made it clear that the “United States remains fully satisfied and appreciative of Pakistan’s unstinting support in the war against terrorism”.
Referring to Pakistan-India relations, Ms Powell recalled that her country was working to build strong relations between Islamabad and Delhi “well before September 11”.
She said her country’s relationship with India and Pakistan was based on its own merits and was free of any zero-sum calculations that might have characterized it in the past. “Success in this objective is, I believe, critical to our ability to facilitate effectively dialogue on Kashmir.” She attributed the reduction in tension and withdrawal of forces from international borders to the “tireless diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, India, the United States and several other countries”.
“But normal relations have not been restored,” she conceded while making it clear that the role of the US and other nations “is no substitute for India and Pakistan working seriously to narrow the differences and redefine their relationship”.
The envoy also referred to last month’s visit of Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca to Islamabad to reaffirm her country’s commitment to promote dialogue between Pakistan and India. She made a passionate appeal to bring an “end to the culture of violence that afflicts Kashmir”. In this context, Ms Powell urged the Pakistan government to ensure pledges to prevent infiltration across the LoC and to end the use of Pakistan as a platform for terrorism.
Earlier, council president Arshad Nasar commended the government for better governance, improvement in law and order, improvement of macro-economic indicators, curbing of smuggling, tax reforms, privatization, deregulation and improvement of the infrastructure.
