Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday called upon US senators to devise a common strategy that covered the Pakistan-US relations beyond year 2014 and urged mutual assistance for intelligence sharing and defence cooperation to keep the region stable. “As friends, we should accept that we have divergence of views but should learn to trust each other, as our relationship is vital for both countries,” the prime minister said while talking to a delegation of US senators led by Robert P Casey at the PM’s House.
Gilani reiterated that Pakistan wanted a sovereign, independent, stable and prosperous Afghanistan and supported the process of reconciliation in the country that was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. Pakistan was part of the solution, not problem, the prime minister added. He said Afghanistan and Pakistan shared the commonality of views over the process of reconciliation with the militants.
Gilani said the positive messaging from both countries would help create an environment for the leadership of the both countries to strengthen their bilateral relations and deny the terrorist space to capitalise on. The US senators expressed their grave concern over the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were killing Pakistani and US troops alike, saying there was a dire need to put in place a mechanism to regulate manufacturing, transportation, storage and distribution of ammonium nitrate used by terrorists.
The senators were informed that the government of Pakistan had already placed stringent laws which regulated the manufacturing, transportation, storage and sale of the ammonium nitrate. Pakistan had amended the Explosive Amendment Law to cope with the situation. The prime minister said Pakistan had already blocked about 20 million unauthorised SIMS to prevent their misuse by terrorists.
The interior secretary told the US senators that an awareness campaign against IEDs would be launched next month in the collaboration with the US embassy, so that people know the dangers involved and ways protect themselves from the dangerous explosive device. Gilani said a centre of excellence had been set up at Raisalpur that exclusively imparted training to the personnel of law enforcement agencies for enhancing their capacity to deal with lethal explosives.
The prime minister said it was a welcome realisation on part of India that the talks between India and Pakistan should not be held hostage to the Mumbai attacks. The US senators praised the sacrifices of Pakistanis and extended their sympathies with the families who lost their members in the fight against terrorists. The US delegation included Senator Michel Bennet, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Senator Richard Blumenthal.