Pakistan will not give, expect blank cheque: FM

[LahoreEstate]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan neither expects a ‘blank cheque’ from the US nor is ready to give one to the US to act unilaterally in the war on terror, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday.

“I expect no blank cheques and we will not issue any blank cheques,” Qureshi said while addressing a joint press conference with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

Qureshi said there were “red lines” in the terms of the Pakistan-US engagement in the fight against terrorism and Islamabad hoped that Washington would respect its sovereignty. The central point in the terms of reference was “mutual respect”, he said.

He said the two sides “agreed to disagree” on the issue of US drone attacks in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas. “But our talks will continue and we will hold a trilateral meeting in Washington on May 6 and 7 to sort out our difference,” he said.

Ambassador Holbrooke said the US would help Pakistan in the meeting of the Friends of Pakistan forum in Tokyo and encourage other members to do so.

Admiral Mullen said Washington had a “long-term commitment to Pakistan” and stressed “a surplus of trust (instead of) a deficit of trust”. sajjad malik

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg1_2