ISLAMABAD – The US Congress has vowed to continue extending all possible assistance to Pakistan in countering terrorism and to achieve peace and prosperity. A seven-member US Senate delegation, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, on Saturday met Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir at the Foreign Office.
The other members of the delegation included senators Richard Burr, Lindsey Graham, Ron Johnson, Kelly Ayotte, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio. Ambassador Cameron Munter was also present. “This is the first US Senate delegation visiting Pakistan after the Congressional elections in November last year,” a Foreign Office statement stated.
The foreign secretary briefed the delegation about the efforts being made by Pakistan and the US to take the bilateral relationship forward, as well as exchanged views on counterterrorism and the regional situation. He underlined the global landscape was in a flux, adding that it was necessary for Pakistan and the US to work closely with each other in order to be on the same page on issues of mutual concern and interests.
Bashir said relations between Pakistan and the US had greatly improved in the last two years and there was much more clarity about the bilateral trajectory. He said the strategic dialogue had been upgraded to the ministerial level and was aimed at laying solid foundations for a long-term partnership. He said Pakistan, which had suffered immensely from the long war in Afghanistan, needed sustained support by its friends especially the US to address multiple challenges.
In this regard, he urged the delegation to help expedite the disbursement of economic assistance under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation, reimbursement under the Coalition Support Fund, reconstruction opportunity zone legislation and implementation of the Enterprise Fund for Pakistan.
Briefing the delegation about the challenges facing Pakistan, the foreign secretary said Pakistan was a nation with great potential. “The fact that 2.5 million people, who were displaced as a result of law enforcement operations in Swat and Malakand, had returned to their native lands within three months, spoke volumes of the country’s resilience,” he said.
He said Pakistan was potentially a rich country and by encouraging public-private partnerships in key projects, the two countries could create win-win situations. Bashir gave a detailed account of Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism and the successes achieved despite the economic difficulties. He said the high professional standards of Pakistan’s security forces and the national consensus against extremism and terrorism had been playing the decisive role in counterterrorism. He said Pakistanis were moderate people and that there was no justification for violence in a civilised society.
