8 April 2005	Friday	28 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 7: Pakistan has urged the United States to stop issuing negative travel advisories to its citizens as it was hurting American investment as well as the tourism in the country. Informed sources told Dawn here on Thursday that visiting US Undersecretary of State of Treasury for International Affairs John B. Taylor had held a number of meetings with senior Pakistani authorities and was told that more US companies and investors could invest in Pakistan, provided no negative travel advisories were still being issued by the Bush administration.

The US secretary of treasury, who called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday, was informed that although US investors were visiting Pakistan to help increase the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the problem of image was still there due to the negative travel advisories being issued for the last many years. He had also met the governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Ishrat Hussain.

Sources said that Mr Taylor assured to brief senior US leaders, including President George W. Bush, over the issue. He said the US government was extending all possible support for further improving the overall economic situation, particularly to see a better investment climate in Pakistan for US investors.

He said that despite these negative travel advisories there has been an increase of US investment in Pakistan over the years. He said serious investors were ignoring these travel advisories, which were only meant to caution US citizens.

Mr Taylor also informed senior Pakistani officials that the Bush administration was considering making the rules and regulations lenient with a view to help make easy transfer of foreign remittances to Pakistan by Pakistanis living in the United States.

In this behalf, he said, the cost of sending remittances by the Pakistanis would be reduced considerably.

However, sources said that the US secretary of treasury asked the Pakistani authorities to make more efforts to “chop-off” terrorist financing being done by certain so-called welfare organizations and trust groups.