WASHINGTON: As Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif held meetings with senior US Administration officials including Secretary of State John Kerry , there was a strong desire from both the sides to further strengthen and turn their bilateral ties into a deep and enduring multi-faceted partnership.
“During the important meetings there appeared an impression as well as the desire from both sides that Pak-US relationship should not be security-centric alone, rather it should base on deep and enduring multi-faceted partnership”, the Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said while briefing the newsmen about the Prime Minister’s back-to-back meetings with senior US officials.
Besides the meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry, the Prime Minister also held meetings with Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees, Secretaries of Treasury and Energy, MD IMF.Nawaz Sharif also addressed a business forum organized by Pak-US Business Council, he added.
The Foreign Secretary said that during the meeting with John Kerry, the two sides discussed counter-terrorism measures, the prospects of peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan as well as the situation in South Asia.
John Kerry, he said, appreciated Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts as well as its role as a facilitator in advancing the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. It was agreed to continue cooperation to tackle the challenges in region.
Responding to a question, the Foreign Secretary described as “speculation” some media reports about the discussion with US side on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. He, however, added that Pakistan and the United States were already having a dialogue on nuclear matters, which would continue. To a question, the Foreign Secretary said that the United States expressed its confidence over the effective Command and Control structure Pakistan had to safeguard its nuclear arsenal.
About counter-terrorism measures being taken by Pakistan, he said that there was no talk of “do more”. “Pakistan has done a lot, and now it is time for the world to do more,” he remarked.
To a question, the Foreign Secretary said Pakistan had spent $ 1.9 billion in the fight against terrorism over the last year from its own resources, as its leadership had taken a consensus decision to launch the operation Zarb-e-Azb and was committed to rid the country of this menace.
