Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Sherry Rehman has said that her country wanted to forge a relationship with the United States based on principles of mutual trust and respect. “We want to reset our relations on a more equitable, consistent and predictable basis,” she said in her first interaction with Washington-based Pakistani media representatives since assuming her ambassadorial assignment. Ambassador Sherry spoke as a parliamentary review of Pakistan’s relations with the United States neared its completion, more than two months after the November 26 strikes on Pakistani checkposts, which claimed lives of 24 soldiers in a major blow to bilateral ties.
Islamabad, Sherry Rehman said, stood for peace and stability in the region and was working to improve its bilateral relations with its neighbours, including Afghanistan and India. She particularly referred to the situation in Afghanistan where NATO was preparing to hand over security to Afghan forces as it moves to the year 2014 deadline to end combat operations in Afghanistan and completely transfer security to the Afghans. “Pakistan wants to see a responsible withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan,” she said, recalling repercussions that Pakistan had to contend with in the aftermath of post-Soviet withdrawal in 1990s as the world powers left Pakistan alone to deal with the wreckage of war that included social and security problems. Any instability in Afghanistan, the top Pakistani diplomat in Washington said, would affect Pakistan more than any other country in the region.
Sherry also drew attention to Islamabad’s longstanding demand that it gets a fair treatment in terms of trade access to the United States.
“We are looking for trade, not aid — we are looking for a level playing field in trade relations, for our textile products.” However, she would not go into specifics of the kind of relations Pakistan would like to have with the United States, saying she would await the release of the parliamentary review.
The envoy identified terrorism as a major menace for Pakistan and noted that the country, its forces and people have suffered the most in the anti-terror fight. Sherry assured the Pakistani-American community of facilitation by the embassy in providing consular services and issuing identity documents including passports.
Pakistan to reset US ties on equitable basis: Sherry
