By APP
Washington : Hailing Pakistan’s recent progress on the pathway to democracy, the United States on Tuesday said its top diplomats are visiting the South Asian country to engage with the new Pakistani leadership on issues of common interest.
“It’s an opportunity for us to engage at a very senior level with a new Pakistani government as they are making this transition, another transition to a new phase of their democracy,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said when asked about US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte’s current visit to Pakistan.
Assistant Secretary for South Asia Richard Boucher is also accompanying the senior official and the two officials met with senior Pakistani political leaders in Islamabad.
McCormack said the Pakistanis are recently coming out of a period of time in which there was a diversion from the pathway of democracy.
“We welcome the fact that they are now back on that pathway to democracy, that they have held elections in which the Pakistani people can have confidence. There is now a new prime minister. There will be a new government. There is now a new prime minister. There will be a new government. We look forward to working with that new government as well as President Musharraf going forward,” he told reporters at the daily briefing.
However, McCormack stressed that it is for Pakistanis to decide on their internal matters.
“How the Pakistanis decide to arrange themselves vis-a-vis power sharing, who has what authorities, who has what responsibilities, that is going to be for them to decide.”
The Pakistani people, he said, have spoken via an election. “It is now up to their political leaders on the basis of the results in that election and within the confines of their law and constitution to form a government, to put out a platform for that government and to work together in the best interests of Pakistan.”
Reiterating Washington’s position that the United States and Pakistan have some overlapping interests he said “fundamentally, we would like to see a Pakistan that broadens and deepens its economic and political reform.
“We think that’s good for Pakistan, we think it’s good for the region and we think it’s good for our interests, as well. We think that that and fighting violent extremism are inextricably linked.”
He said the “long-term hedge against the expansion of violent extremists and terrorists in the region and in Pakistan is the broadening and deepening of these economic and political reforms.”
“That said, you also are going to have to address some of these individuals via security measures, and we are working with the Pakistani government on that,” he added.
In response to a question, he said, President Musharraf has been a good ally in the fight against terrorism and said the US would work with the new government as well as with him.
“He (Musharraf) has been a good friend of the United States during this period of—from 2001 moving forward. He is the president of Pakistan. We will work with him as well as this new government.”