WASHINGTON, Oct 2: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali assured US lawmakers here on Thursday that Pakistan would like to cooperate with the United States in Iraq but Washington may have to reformulate its Iraq policies if it needs help from Islamic nations.
According to a congressional source, the prime minister made these remarks while briefing the House International Relations Committee on Regional Affairs. He had to face several probing questions during the course of this briefing.
Members of the subcommittee wanted to know what could Pakistan do to help rescue US forces that are facing almost daily attacks in Iraq. They noted that this was the time when America needed support from its allies.
“US lawmakers also expressed concern about the resurgence of Taliban activities along the Pakistan-Afghan border,” a congressional source told Dawn.
Congressman Jim Leach, chairman Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, opened the discussion on Afghanistan by asking the prime minister what his government proposed to do to curb the Taliban resurgence, the source said.
The chairman, and other lawmakers, however, acknowledged that Pakistan had done an excellent job in dealing with Al Qaeda and their sympathizers who also fled to the tribal areas after the collapse of the Taliban regime, other congressional and diplomatic sources told Dawn.
Iraq also figured prominent in an earlier discussion the prime minister had with US senators and congressmen from Texas. At this briefing, which was open to the press, Mr Jamali was more forthcoming in responding to queries about Iraq.
“Pakistan will not like to be associated with an occupation force,” he said. “Change your format. Involve the OIC or GCC. Bring in other Muslim countries as well.”
I have to take my parliament and my people into confidence before I commit myself to anything. We have to see what role is the OIC playing,” he added.
On Afghanistan, the prime minister assured US lawmakers that his government was determined not to allow any group or party to use its territory for carrying out terrorist activities.
“Afghanistan is a neighbour and it is a Muslim country. We wish them well. Progress and stability in Afghanistan also helps Pakistan,” he said.
Mr Jamali pointed out that because Afghanistan was comparatively peaceful last year, Pakistan’s annual trade with that country doubled to $400 million.
“We want this trade to expand further,” he added.
Responding to a question about Pakistan’s relations with the Karzai government, the prime minister said: “I have known Mr Karzai for years. We lived in the same street for more than four years and our government wants to help him stabilize Afghanistan.”
“But it has to be seen how strong Mr Karzai is at home. That’s his problem and he has to do something about it.”
The prime minister said that his government believed in resolving Pakistan’s differences with India through a dialogue. “I responded enthusiastically when Prime Minister Vajpayee took a peace initiative in April. We made some progress too. Envoys were returned. Road link was restored. We are still willing to work with India for normalizing relations with them.”
He said he has invited Mr Vajpayee to visit Pakistan but so far the Indian prime minister has not responded. “I said to him, come to Pakistan. If you cannot come, let me know and I will come over. Just tell me when.”
Mr Jamali said Pakistan is willing to bring US lawmakers to the Line of Control to observe the situation in Kashmir “but India will never make such an offer.” Pakistan, he said, can make this offer because “it has nothing to hide.”
Describing Kashmir as “the oldest unresolved issue in the world today,” Mr Jamali said that resolving this issue would remove tensions in South Asia and “allow the two governments to fight poverty and deprivation.”
Explaining his government’s domestic policies, Mr Jamali said that he was focusing on ensuring “a continuity of democracy in the country.”
He said in the past, civilian governments were unable to complete their tenures and it hurt democracy “but now we are determined to create a situation that will allow elected governments to complete their tenures.”
The prime minister, who was accompanied by his ministers and senior Pakistani diplomats, dealt tactfully with the lawmakers, some of whom have had years of experience in handling foreign politicians.
Although he stammered once or twice, “he did very well for a first-timer,” observed Dr Amanullah Khan, an adviser in the Bush administration who had organized the meeting with Texas lawmakers.
Even while confronting difficult questions, like “the cause for a deep-seated hatred for the United States in Pakistan, the prime minister did not get nervous.
But he did not prove to be an impressive public speaker. Speaking extempore at a reception on Wednesday night, he often got nervous and lost track of his thoughts. It was obvious that his aides had not prepared him for the occasion.
His information gurus committed another blunder when they attributed a remark to President Bush that he had not said. The official news quoted Mr Bush as expressing support for a functioning democracy in Pakistan, although nobody heard him say that.
The official transcript, released later by the White House, also had no reference to democracy, except one by Prime Minister Jamali.
