By NNN-APP,
Washington : Senator John Kerry, a key member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has described Pervez Musharraf’s departure from presidency as a welcome development for the Pakistani people and urged U.S. cooperation for Pakistan’s success in meeting challenges facing it.
He saw the development as offering an opportunity for Pakistani leaders to advance democracy and bring about economic uplift of the people. Kerry, a top Democratic leader, asked Pakistani leaders to focus on preventing al-Qaeda and the Taliban forces from seeking sanctuaries on its side of the Afghan border.
“Over the long-term, the best way to fight extremism is for Pakistan’s politicians to use this opportunity to strengthen their democracy and deliver an economic plan that can improve the lives of their people.
“This ultimately is their fight and their future, but for their sake and ours, America needs to help them succeed,” he stated.
Kerry, a former presidential candidate, criticized the U.S.
Administration for following a “personality-driven foreign policy that turned a blind eye to Pakistan’s people.” He said the backing of a “discredited dictator” undercut the U.S. ability to work with the new government to eliminate terrorists from Pakistan’s border areas.