President Asif Ali Zardari has once again urged the United States to revisit its policy of drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Talking to a delegation of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee headed by its chairman Senator Robert Menendez on Thursday, he termed drone attack as “counterproductive”, which were causing great damage at popular level, stressing the need to find a way out.
The president said the sacrifices offered by Pakistan in the fight against militancy must be acknowledged and appreciated. He said Pakistan’s armed forces were doing a heroic job despite all odds, but stretched as they were in the tribal areas‚ they needed to be assisted with resources for long term and sustained counter-terrorism operations.
About Pakistan-US relations‚ Zardari said that ties between the two countries were multifaceted, and it would not be proper to see them through one prism only‚ be that Afghanistan or any other.
Reiterating that Pakistan looked forward to increased trade through market access instead of aid, the president said that Pakistan also wanted increased US investment in Pakistan in energy‚ agriculture and livestock sectors.
Referring to Pakistan-India relations‚ the president said that Pakistan had liberalised trade with India and wished to establish friendly‚ cooperative and good neighbourly relations with it and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes.
Menendez praised the role played by Pakistan and the sacrifices offered by its armed forces‚ security agencies and the people in the fight against militancy. The president also hosted a lunch for the delegation.