Pak-US Strategic Dialogue to enhance bilateral ties: Gilani

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has expressed his satisfaction on the successful sectoral track meetings of Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue saying Pakistan had prepared a set of documents envisaging future plans for taking the relationship beyond the war on terror and Kerry Lugar assistance programme. He expressed the hope that the Fifth Round of Strategic Dialogue scheduled for Monday to be co-chaired by Foreign Minister of Pakistan and US Secretary of State will be productive and produce positive results.

He was talking to Ms. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who called on him at the Prime Minister House Sunday evening.
The Prime Minister reiterated his invitation to President Obama to undertake an exclusive state visit to Pakistan in the near future.
He said that President Obama’s visit will not only boost the democratic forces in Pakistan and strengthen bilateral relations, it would also create a positive image of the US amongst the people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister underlined the importance of public diplomacy which in his view was vital for removing misperceptions on both sides and building higher amount of trust between the two sides.
While dilating on the meeting of Council of Common Interests earlier in the day to build the consensus on Bhasha Dam among all the federating units, the Prime Minister underscored the present energy shortages in the country.
He urged for US Government’s assistance in building water reservoirs and enhancing the power generation capacity. He also underlined the need for greater economic cooperation between Pakistan and US to address the root causes of terrorism like illiteracy, poverty and under development.
He hoped that now that substantive discussions under various tracks of strategic dialogue had already taken place, the US side would expedite its decisions for finalizing pledges in Pakistan in these areas.
The Prime Minister stated that his government was planning to announce a Malakand Package to undertake reconstruction and new development projects in that area and provide incentives to the affected people for their improved livelihood.
While appreciating that US was actively engaging with Pakistan to deliver on its pledges made at Tokyo Donors Conference and encouraging other donors to do likewise, the Prime Minister regretted that most of the pledges had remained unfulfilled and his government urgently wanted the disbursement of the committed amount to finalize the Malakand Package.
The Prime Minister also urged the US for its enhanced assistance in capacity building of Pakistan law enforcement agencies and intelligence sharing between the two sides to enable Pakistan as the frontline state against terror to succeed in its campaign to rout out the menace from its soil.
The Prime Minister stated that his government wanted to make greater investment in the education sector particularly to target the population vulnerable to the militant’s outfits to provide them the same boarding, lodging and education facilities as was being extended by the madaris. He hoped that the US government would help Pakistan on this account.
The Prime Minister dispelled the misperceptions in the past about the alleged human rights violations during the course of operations against the militants by emphasizing the fact that his government was fully committed to protecting and promoting the rights of its citizens without discrimination as provided under the Constitution.
He said that the campaign to malign Pakistan could potentially have negative impact on Pakistan’s anti-terror campaign. He urged the Secretary of State to sensitize the legislators in the US Congress and Senate about the ground realities in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said that his democratic government attaches great importance to its relations with Afghanistan and it considers peace and stability in Afghanistan contingent upon a peaceful and secure Pakistan.
He expressed satisfaction that both sides had agreed to sign a broad based record note which would facilitate the new Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Agreement in the near future.
The Prime Minister also stressed that Pakistan wanted to have good neighborly relations with India as well and would like both sides to address all the issues and disputes between them peacefully.
The US Secretary of State Ms Hillary Clinton profusely commended the Prime Minister’s leadership and his personal interest in promoting multifarious cooperation and strengthening the bilateral ties with US.
She stated that she saluted his government’s resolve to fight terrorism and her government was fully appreciative of the extra-ordinary sacrifices made by Pakistan in its war.
The Secretary of State said that US was committed to a long lasting strategic relationship with Pakistan based on mutual interests of both sides. She said she would be making specific announcement on Monday to help Pakistan in energy and water conservation sector.
She said the Administrator of USAID who was accompanying her, after Fifth Round of Strategic Dialogue, would also hold discussions with the relevant Pakistani authorities for deciding upon the projects for bilateral cooperation in host of areas.
Dilating on the cooperation between the two countries in war against terror, the Secretary of State conveyed her government’s condolences on increased attacks at shrines, mosques and other religious sites. She referred to the US experience of creating a mechanism of coordination between state and central governments to promote combined efforts for meeting the security threats.
She hoped that measures would be taken by the Pakistani authorities to have increased coordination and cooperation between the Federal and Provincial intelligence and law enforcing agencies.
The Prime Minister informed her that his government was in the process of establishing NECTA which is specifically meant to foster greater intelligence sharing between Provincial and Federal Governments.
The Secretary of State acknowledged Prime Minister’s personal role in the efforts to normalize relations with India and hoped that these efforts would bear fruit in the near future.
She thanked the Prime Minister for extending invitation to President Obama for visit to Pakistan and stated that she would convey the invitation to her President while the date of visit would be decided through diplomatic channels.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Defence Ch Ahmed Mukhtar, Minister for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Interior Senator A Rehman Malik, Minister for Water & Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Minister of State for Finance & EAD Mrs Hina Rabbani Khar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Ms Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Secretaries Foreign Affairs and Defence, US Ambassador Mrs Anne W Patterson, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and other senior officers were present in the meeting.