President Asif Ali Zardari promised to work with the United States to “eradicate” the militant Haqqani Network, a pledge made during a meeting with visiting American congressmen, The Washington Post said in a report on Wednesday. The head of the Homeland Security delegation, Michael McCaul, downplayed the significance of the remarks, saying it was unclear whether President Zardari had the power to make good on his pledge, given the influence of the military in Pakistan, said the report.
Citing McCaul, the report said Zardari also appeared to brush off threats that US aid spending to Pakistan could be significantly cut if Islamabad did not do more to squeeze insurgents like the Haqqanis. “I think he thinks it’s a given that we are going to continue the aid, but I tried to tell him that it’s in jeopardy,” The Post quoted McCaul, a Republican congressman from Texas, as saying of Zardari. “He said: ‘I appreciate your assistance, but it’s trade more than aid that I need.’”
McCaul and the visiting lawmakers met Zardari in Karachi on Tuesday, and revealed details of his conversation later the same day. “The president, on the record, said ‘I am going to work with you to eradicate them,’” McCaul was quoted as saying. He further quoted Zardari as saying: “I know these people very well, they are snakes and I’m going to go after all of them.”
The Post said McCaul welcomed the president’s statement, but said the “real question is how much does this president control the military” and the country’s spy service. According to a Pakistan Today report from Islamabad, President Zardari said Pakistan and the US must refrain from “uncalled for public criticism” as it undermined the efforts to work closely for shared goals and improve bilateral ties.
The delegation discussed bilateral relations, strategic dialogue, the war against terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan and the overall regional situation with the president.
The president called for mutual understanding of each other’s point of view to avoid misunderstanding and negative impressions that would potentially endanger the two countries’ close working relationship at this critical hour. He asked for swift legislation in the US for the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs), terming it crucial for creating jobs for the people of militancy-hit areas. President Zardari said the combined impact of the war on terror and the recent natural calamities had adversely affected Pakistan’s economy.
Zardari gives US ‘his word’ on eliminating Haqqani network
