Pak-US relations would soon be back to normal./Marc Grossman calls on President Zardari in Dushanbe

Marc Grossman calls on President Zardari in Dushanbe

President Zardari says revival of Pak-US relations in the light of
Parliamentary review

Pak-US relations would soon be back to
normal. Grossman


Dushanbe March 25, 2012: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the
Parliamentary review process of Pak-US relations, that was long
overdue, was a manifestation of democracy taking roots in Pakistan and
the elected representatives taking ownership of one of Pakistan's most
important bilateral relationships. He said that the effort had to be
to work within the parameters set by the Parliament and not to bypass
it.

He said this during meeting with Marc Grossman Special US
Representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan in Dushanbe on Sunday where
the President Zardari earlier participated in the quadrilateral talks
with heads of states of Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan.

Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted the
President as saying that the government wanted to revive the
relationship with the US on the basis of mutual respect and mutual
interest and in the light of parliamentary review.

Pakistan wanted to re-engage with the US at all levels in the light of
the Parliamentary review which, the President said, would be completed
soon.

Farhatullah Babar said that the President also drew attention to the
need for greater transparency in the relationship.

During the talks the President also called for exploring options for
increased market access through preferential tariff for Pakistan
exports to US markets.

The Spokesperson said that President Zardari also raised the issue of
drug trade that was providing financial sustainability to the
militants and called for concerned international efforts to curb the
menace. He said that large quantities of opiates entered Pakistan from
across the border and called for the US and NATO forces to interdict
the movement of drugs which he said was critical for drying up the
financial sources of militants.

About the drone attacks the President said that these violated
Pakistan's sovereignty, were counterproductive and because of the
civilian casualties it even fueled militancy and called for an end to
drone strikes.

The President said that Pakistan believed that peace and stability in
Pakistan depended on peace and stability in Afghanistan and that
Pakistan would continue to fight the militants till the logical end.

Farhatullah Babar said that during meeting with Grossman President
Zardari also drew attention to the energy crisis in Pakistan and said
that Iran Pakistan gas pipeline line project concluded years ago
should be seen as vital to solving Pakistan's energy problem and its
economic development.

US representative Marc Grossman thanked the President for meeting him
and said that the United States respected the Parliamentary process of
overview of relationship and expressed the hope that the process would
be completed soon and the Pak-US relations would soon be back to
normal.

Those who attended the meeting included from the US side Ambassador
Munter and other senior US officials. The Pakistan side included
Interior Minister Rehamn Malik, spokesperson Senator Farhatullah
Babar, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilnai, Pakistan's Ambassador in
Afghanistan and senior officials of the Foreign Office.