By NNN-APP
Washington : The United States said it looks forward to working with President Pervez Musharraf and the next Pakistani government that emerges from parliamentary election held earlier this week.
“He (Musharraf) , the President of Pakistan and I would expect that we are going to work with him and whatever – and that we would hope to work with whatever government emerges as a result of this election,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at the daily briefing on Thursday.
The US, he said, encourages all moderate political forces to work together on course to democratization and economic prosperity, saying they face the common challenge of violent extremism.
“We would encourage all the moderate political parties and those with a similar or shared vision of a Pakistan that is on the course to greater democratization, broadened democratization, deeper democratization, greater prosperity, to work together. They have a common strategic vision. They also have a common enemy. And that common enemy are violent extremists, terrorists, who seek to undermine the progress that Pakistan has made in the past six years – past seven years.”
However, the spokesman said in response to a question that the Pakistanis themselves would have to work out arrangements for the new government and refused to be drawn into speculations on the issue.
“I can’t predict for you who will comprise that government, who will be the prime minister, who will be the minister of defense, minister of foreign affairs. That’s for the Pakistanis to decide, and we’re certainly not in any way, shape or form going to try to decide for them. That is their decision.”
In Brussels, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher observed Pakistan had made a successful democratic transition and added, “We look forward to working with whoever emerges as prime minister, we look forward to working with President Musharraf in his new role,” Boucher told a news conference in the European Union capital.
The top US official for South Asia was confident that Pakistan would remain a key American ally. “Pakistan has been a key ally with Musharraf as the leader. Pakistan will remain a key US ally with Musharraf and the prime minister and others as leaders.”