MULTAN, Oct 20 Political point scoring on the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act, 2009, popularly known Kerry-Lugar Bill, can harm national interests as the country needs assistance from the world, including the United States, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at a press conference at the local airport on Tuesday.

He said Pakistan could get assistance only by improving its ties with other countries and not by indulging in conflicts. He said no conditions had been imposed on Pakistan in the act.

He said the US would change its policy on Afghanistan and he had asked the US to consult the Pakistani government before changing its policy as the policy would impact Pakistan's interests in the region.

He said the government had provided copies of an explanatory statement of US officials over the act to political leaders. Senator John Kerry met Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif and there were no reports that Mr Sharif had rejected the point of view of the US senator.

He said that Pakistan would get Rs1 trillion in the next five years under the US aid act and the aid would be spent on the social sectors.

He said that Pakistan had conveyed the reservations of political and military leaders of the country over the Kerry Lugar bill to the US government and all kind of reservations had been addressed in the explanatory statement of the US Senate and the Congress.

He said that during his stay in the US, he met American think tanks and editorial boards of different newspapers to brief them about the Pakistani point of view on different issues. He also met the foreign ministers of Iran, India and Afghanistan and discussed with them the issues related to the Kashmir dispute, water, trade and prisoners' exchange.

He said that he had told US officials that terrorism was a 30-year-old issue and it had stemmed from US-funded camps for 'Mujahideen'.He said that entire regional countries, including Iran, Afghanistan and India, should come forward to help Pakistan fight against terrorism.

He said the government had consulted all political parties before the launch of the Operation Rah-i-Nijat or Operation for Salvation against the militants in South Waziristan. He said all arrangements had been made to accommodate 100,000 internally displaced persons.

He said that although India did not recognise Pakistan's efforts to eliminate terrorists openly but off-the-record they spoke highly of Pakistan's gains in crushing the militancy.

He said Pakistan condemned the recent suicide attack in Iran and President Asif Ali Zardari had called his Iranian counterpart assuring him Pakistan's cooperation to nab the bombers.

He said in the past Pakistan handed over wanted accused to Iran as the Pakistan was enjoying friendly relations with Iran and also had signed an agreement on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. He said that due to the successful diplomacy of the government, Pakistan got F-16 while friends of democratic Pakistan announced providing facilities to Pakistan to increase its trade volume.