January 18, 2008	Friday	Muharram 08, 1429

WASHINGTON, Jan 17: The United States should work with China to develop a joint strategy for stabilising Pakistan, speakers told a US congressional panel.

“The United States should consider engaging other states, such as China, that share many of US interests, albeit not all, and which has increasing influence in Pakistan’s domestic affairs,” said Lisa Curtis, a former CIA analyst and ex-senior State Department adviser on South Asia.

Other speakers, including several lawmakers, also emphasised the need to develop a new approach that puts as much stress on building stable, free and moderate institutions as it does on fighting terrorists.

“What is clear is that before Pakistan devolves any further in chaos and violence, US policy has to change,” said Gary Ackerman who heads the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

The panel has jurisdiction over US policy towards Pakistan as well as all other countries located in the two regions.

On Thursday, the House unanimously adopted a resolution that Mr Ackerman had initiated, condemning ‘in the strongest terms’ former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder.

The non-controversial resolution, however, did not blame any specific group for the assassination and did not seek new restriction on Pakistan, making it possible for all 413 members to vote for it.

But in the evening, Mr Ackerman chaired a panel hearing on Pakistan where speakers roundly condemned Pakistani authorities for failing to protect Ms Bhutto and demanded an international inquiry into her murder.

The speakers also looked beyond the assassination and emphasised the need for strengthening democratic forces in Pakistan.

They warned that if the US continued to support the Musharraf government, it may soon find itself in a situation where it will have no friend in Pakistan.

“The United States should support — and indeed insist upon — reinstating the judiciary, forging an acceptable election commission, and securing a voters’ registration list acceptable to all parties,” said Ms Curtis. “It should lift restrictions on the political parties, the media and election observers. And it should certainly work to minimise electoral violence by providing security to the candidates and their functionaries.”

She also urged the US to insist upon minimal interference of intelligence and police organisations in the election, warning that the Musharraf government was ‘very unlikely’ to undertake such measures to ensure a victory for his group.