ISLAMABAD, May 26: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri conveyed to US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca on Thursday the ‘deep dismay’ of the people of Pakistan over desecration of the Holy Quran in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. When Ms Rocca called on the president, he told her that people had been dismayed at the incident and called for full inquiry to bring to justice the perpetrators of the shameful act.
Ms Rocca assured the president that the US government was investigating these allegations and those responsible would be held accountable.
The president expressed satisfaction over the ongoing bilateral economic, defence and security cooperation. He noted that ties between the two countries had acquired a strategic dimension on which to build a broad-based and long-term Pakistan-US relationship.
The assistant secretary of state reiterated the US president’s commitment to a long-term bilateral relationship with Pakistan. She said the US government was engaged in broadening and deepening the Pakistan-US engagement.
Gen Musharraf mentioned efforts to counter terrorism and extremism in the country. Ms Rocca expressed the US appreciation for Pakistan’s support to the international campaign against terrorism.
In response to a call for the US to provide greater market access to Pakistani products, she said the Bush Administration was desirous of expanding bilateral trade and was trying to help Pakistan gain better access in the US market.
With regard to the regional situation the president noted that Pakistan-India relations had made good progress. He, however, stressed that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the core issue that needed to be addressed urgently.
He called on the US to continue to encourage India to take advantage of the improved situation and move towards a solution to the Kashmir dispute in the interest of durable peace and stability.
Ms Rocca conveyed the US government’s appreciation of the president’s efforts to promote peace and stability. She said the United States would continue to support the Pakistan-India peace process.
Foreign Minister Kasuri also raised the desecration issue with Ms Rocca when she called on him at the foreign ministry.
“He called on the US to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and individuals who may be found guilty of committing this reprehensible act should be awarded stern punishment,” said a statement issued by the foreign office after the meeting.
Ms Rocca told the foreign minister that her government had already launched an inquiry into the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and if any one was found guilty, they would be brought to the book. She reiterated the statement made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it had been the US policy never to allow desecration of the Holy Quran.
On regional developments, the foreign minister said that the government was committed to a productive composite dialogue with India which should focus on the resolution of all outstanding issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that associating the Kashmiris in the dialogue process would help achieve durable peace in South Asia.
He shared with the assistant secretary of state Pakistan’s standpoint on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. He underscored Pakistan’s growing energy needs and pointed out that the project would serve as a major confidence-building measure and reinforce peace and stability in the region. Ms Rocca acknowledged the merit in his argument, it is learnt.
Mr Kasuri pressed for early delivery of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a conventional arms balance in the region in the interest of peace and stability.
He urged the US to support efforts aimed at evolving consensus on the UN reforms, including the expansion of the Security Council. The exercise, he said, should not result in the creation of further inequalities in the Security Council. US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker accompanied Ms Rocca.—Q.A
