US must rescue Pakistan from economic crunch: Zardari

ISLAMABAD – The US must fulfil its pledges made to Pakistan as the country is passing through a difficult phase and needs to be pulled out of its economic crunch, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday. The president met US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter,
who called on him at the Presidency and discussed bilateral relations and issues related to strategic dialogue besides the war on terror and Zardari’s visit to the US. According to sources, the president apprised Munter of his meetings with US President Barack Obama and other US officials and stressed that the next phase of the strategic dialogue should be started soon.
He said the war on terror had taken its toll on the Pakistani economy and the US should come forward to take its key ally out of its economic crisis Munter said the US was well aware of problems facing Pakistan and it would not leave its key ally in a lurch, adding that the last phase of the Pakistan-US strategic dialogue in the US were a complete success and the next phase would be started soon.
US backs Pak-India dialogue: The US has said it encourages greater dialogue between Pakistan and India and expects discussion on all issues including regional solution to the Afghan conflict with Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers at a trilateral meeting next month.
“We continue to do everything that we can to support a regional solution to the challenge of Afghanistan,” Philip J Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs said at Washington’s Foreign Press Center. Crowley, responding to a question in the context of Pakistani-Indian tensions vis-a-vis Afghanistan, said the Obama administration has encouraged both Islamabad-Kabul and Islamabad-New Delhi dialogues.
“We have encouraged Pakistan to develop stronger relationship and understanding with Afghanistan. And there has been an increase in dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the recent months, and we continue to encourage that. And in turn, we continue to encourage greater dialogue between Pakistan and India,” he stated. He said, “So we are doing all of those things. We have an important trilateral meeting coming up next month among the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. And all of these issues, I would expect, will be on the agenda.”