By KUNA,
Washington : The new Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani demanded late on Thursday a joint investigation in the US strike that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.
“We would like arrangements where firearms are used against enemies and not squandered on Pakistani soldiers,” said Haqqani at the Atlantic Council of the United States here in Washington.
Eleven Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed last Wednesday after a US air and artillery strikes following clashes with insurgents on the border with Afghanistan.
Haqqani called the incident “unfortunate” but asserted that it would not affect US-Paskistani relations.
Haqqani asserted that “nothing to be gained” if some in Pakistan used this incident “to add on the anti-American sentiment” in the country nor if some in America “described Pakistan as a dysfunctional government.” In his first public appearance since presenting his credentials to President George W. Bush in the White House almost two weeks ago, Haqqani expressed support for talks with the leaders of the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan but with a set of preconditions, a commitment from them to lay down arms, stop all attacks, exclude foreign fighters and show no support for Taliban.
Haqqani came to Washington nine weeks after the formation of the new Pakistani government, hence reflecting the new political reality in Islamabad.
Haqqani declined to answer a question about the future of the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, noting that it is up for the constitutional process and the parliament in Pakistan to decide that.
Answering a question about how the new government is different than the civilian governments before, Haqqani argued that Pakistani political parties came to realize that “their lack of cooperation strengthens authoritarian rule.
” He further noted that the Pakistani army understood that changing “the political life from the top does not work and the same political leaders return to office” and Haqqani also talked about “great awareness” in Pakistan and the international community about the need for stability and rule of law.
He concluded that all Pakistani security and intelligence agencies will soon be “under civilian leadership” and the newly formed government.