President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday underlined the need for clear terms of engagement to be agreed upon beforehand between Pakistan and the US in the war against terrorism so that conflicting positions and unilateral actions did not adversely impact the bilateral ties.
He said this during a meeting with US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman, who called on the president at the Presidency.Grossman was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter and Rear Admiral Philip Davidson. Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Finance Hafeez Sheikh, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, Secretary General to the President Salman Farooqui, Sughra Imam, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and spokesman to the president Farhatullah Babar were also present.Briefing reporters, Babar said Pak-US relations, the war against militancy and regional situation with special reference to Afghanistan was discussed during the meeting.
He quoted the president as saying that in the absence of well-defined and documented terms of engagements, wrong plugs might be pulled at the wrong times by any side that could undermine the bilateral relations. The president said the terms of engagement should be clearly defined and specified so that any dispute could be settled amicably through the available institutions. Babar said the president also emphasised that a long-term, sustainable and multidimensional relationship with the US should be based on mutual interest, trust and respect.
Zardari also underlined Pakistan’s resolve to continue its struggle until its logical end, saying it was in Pakistan’s own interests to fight militancy and to rid our land from the extremists and militants. The president said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of peace and stability in Pakistan. Therefore, he said, Pakistan would assist in all efforts intended to bring peace, stability and development of Afghanistan.
