SUKKUR, July 21: The United States consul general in Karachi Madam Kay Anske assured on Monday that Nato forces would not trespass into Pakistan.

Ms Anske said in answer to journalists’ questions at the district nazim’s office after attending a briefing on district government’s performance that Pakistanis should guard their integrity and solidarity, because an independent and prosperous Pakistan was not only in their own best interests but also in the interest of America.

She dismissed the impression that the US was threatening Pakistan of “consequences” if it did not toe its line and stressed that eradicating terrorism at the grass-root level was more in the interest of Pakistan itself than the US.

She said that peace was essential for a stable economy and the US would help the country achieve stability. The US had always extended financial help to Pakistan and would continue to do so in future, she said.

To a question about power devolution system, she said success of a system depended on people and those who ran it. She said she was impressed by the nazim’s briefing, according to which health and education sectors had been privatised under a USAID programme, and development works had been carried out under district works programme launched in 2006 for three years in six districts of the country. The programme had now been extended to 30 districts, she said.

District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said during briefing that the district government had done considerably well since 2001, especially for lessening the problems of water, sanitation and roads in all the talukas of the district.

Rohri Taluka Nazim Aslam Shaikh, EDO of revenue Rashid Qazi and DPO Sukkur Sharjeel Kharal were also present at the briefing.

The US diplomat and her political officer Tim Hall were presented traditional gifts of “Ajrak” and “Rilly”. She later visited historical Sadh Bello shrine, where she was briefed about the shrine’s history.

Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar hosted dinner in her honour at his residence in Khan Garh, which was also attended by Sukkur zila nazim and notables of the area.