The United States and Pakistan are working together to reset the bilateral relationship for a pragmatic and realistic cooperation in economic, investment, trade, counterterrorism areas and Afghan reconciliation process, a top adviser to the US administration said on Tuesday.
Speaking on the eve of inception of a new Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Pakistan, Ambassador Robin Raphel expressed Washington’s commitment to continue its wide-ranging ties with Islamabad.
She applauded incoming prime minister Sharif’s positive signals in his statements on US-Pakistan ties and some key regional issues since his May 11 election victory.
Raphel spoke at a conference on the future of US-Pakistan wide-ranging relationship, often overshadowed by controversy over American drone strikes that hunt suspected militants in tribal areas as well as some other Afghan conflict-related implications.
Raphel noted that from a low point in relations in 2011-12, the two countries were now in a different place and expected continued cooperation with the new Pakistani government on counterterrorism, economic development and regional peace and stability.
“Sharif has already sent very positive signals publicly by stating his interest in strengthening the US-Pakistan relationship, his commitment to energy and economic reforms and his desire for improving ties with both India and Afghanistan,” Raphel observed.
In reference to the US outreach to the new Pakistani leadership, Raphel said President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and US Ambassador in Islamabad had contacted Nawaz Sharif since his impressive win in May 11 polls.
Her remarks came at a vitally important time for Washington, which sees Pakistan as critical to its smooth military drawdown from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. On the other hand, Islamabad wants US support for its economic revival.
However, experts at the conference underlined that the two countries needed to resolve the contentious drone issue so that it may not cast a shadow on the cooperative ties.
In this respect, Marvin Weinbaum who heads Pakistan Studies Center at the Middle East Institute, argued that President Obama, in his counterterrorism speech last month, should have made an effort to address Pakistan’s concerns on the issue. Had President Obama said directly to Pakistan something on finding a mutually satisfactory policy on the drones, it would have made things a lot easier for Pakistani leaders, he noted.
The conference was organised by the Pakistani American Congress on US-Pakistan Friendship and addressed by some US lawmakers and some leading experts.
In her remarks, Raphel particularly noted that his “very strong mandate” gave Sharif an opportunity early in his tenure to address the serious challenges that Pakistan faces today including energy shortages, economic stagnation and violent extremism.
“For our part, the United States remains deeply committed to strengthening our long-term bilateral relationship across the board,” she said.
“We look to the future where increased economic linkages both between the United States and Pakistan and across the region provide a foundation for relationship. We really are interested in promoting private sector ties between our two countries,” Raphel, a former career diplomat, added.
She also cited some productive results of US assistance for Pakistan in the last three years including support on adding 900MW of much-needed power to Pakistan’s national system and Washington’s largest Fulbright education program for the country. Ambassador Raphel told the conference, where leaders of Pakistani American Congress urged making trade instead of aid as the bedrock of relations, that the US would hold a conference in the Arab Gulf to highlight Pakistan’s tremendous investment potential.