KARACHI, Nov 13: American Ambassador to Pakistan, Nancy J. Powell, has said Washington is committed to building a strong and comprehensive relationship with Islamabad and welcomed the recent exchange of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) by India and Pakistan.

Making a presentation on “US Foreign Policy Towards Pakistan”, organized by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Economic Affairs and Law on Thursday, she also spelt out four broad areas of cooperation between the two countries.

She said the four principles in bilateral relations were at play in the ongoing “Global War on Terror”. These included: helping the states of the area to enhance regional stability; helping Pakistan strengthen economic, social, political, and democratic development; and, building bridges between the two nations’ peoples in order to foster greater mutual understanding.

With regard to Pakistan and India, she said the United States was today in the enviable position of enjoying excellent and cooperative relations with both. “We do not view our relations with Pakistan and India as a zero-sum game, and my sense is that Pakistan and India are coming to accept that America’s good relations with both countries is in fact a net positive for all three nations,” said Ms Powell.

“The US hopes India and Pakistan will move forward with the implementation of those confidence-building measures that both nations have agreed upon during the past month, and to engage in serious discussions on those items — restoration of air links and train travel, and visa issuance — that require further agreement on modalities.”

Ms Powell said the US believed that expanding the potential for cross-border trade — whether through bilateral talks in areas such as civil aviation or through regional SAARC initiatives — and increasing contacts and confidence among ordinary citizens — whether through medical exchanges, easier border crossing, or sports events — were all measures that could help create the positive atmosphere that was the sine qua non of tackling the difficult political issues that divide India and Pakistan.

With regard to Kashmir, she said there was no doubt that violence in the disputed territory must be reduced. Ending violence in Kashmir remained a key goal, said Ms Powell, adding that on its part the US would continue to look for ways to encourage peace in Kashmir.

A lasting solution to this difficult issue could only come through political dialogue and negotiation, not through violence. She said related to the issue of regional stability was the matter of nuclear and weapons proliferation.

The US ambassador was confident that Pakistan would continue to comply with the existing non-proliferation treaties and regimes to which it had adhered, as well as to other commitments it made.

“In order to realize the full potential of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and the other countries in South Asia, regional political and military stability must be ensured. This is one of the highest foreign policy priorities for this US administration,” said the ambassador.

She said the US was working with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, to help them secure the border areas that had for decades been porous. “We are working closely and cooperatively with the government of Pakistan to neutralize the remnants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban that remain in the region.”

In this context Ms Powell said the two countries had coordinated in intelligence, law enforcement, finance, and military actions successfully to apprehend well over 500 suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives to date, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi Bin al-Shibh.

She also noted that the government of Pakistan was working against “extremist” groups and had recently increased its security patrols, operating now even in the mountainous and historically off-limit tribal areas near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Ms Powell said the US was monitoring, together with Pakistan, the effectiveness of actions taken to curb groups such as Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed. These groups, she claimed, posed a serious threat to Pakistan, the region, and the United States.

“We are particularly concerned that these banned organizations are re-establishing themselves with new names.” She noted that Pakistan had taken many steps to prevent extremist groups from crossing the Line of Control in Kashmir but asked for enhancing these efforts.

The US ambassador also dealt at length with other priority areas and economic assistance her country had extended to Pakistan. She said democratic institutions were required if Pakistan was to thrive economically and develop into a stable, moderate Islamic state.

Some of the USAID money was directed at this goal of strengthening democracy, good governance, and the rule of law. In fact, USAID had just awarded a grant to improve the links between the provincial and national legislatures, civil society organizations, academics, think tanks, and the Press, she said.

Earlier, Justice Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, Chairman of the Council, in his welcome address referred to the general impression about Muslims in the West. He stressed the need to dispel the same.