By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan and the US have called for a clearly defined strategic partnership to act jointly against terrorism and for regional peace, a media report said Saturday.
A series of talks took place between visiting US Special Af-Pak Representative Marc Grossman and top Pakistani leaders over the past two days, Xinhua reported.
Grossman met President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, members of parliament and other government officials, the US embassy said.
Ashraf told the US envoy that the Pakistan-US relations were very important and his country values the US as a major development partner, said a statement from the prime minister’s office.
“We have a shared objective in fighting terrorism and need to cooperate more to get rid of this menace in Pakistan,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.
He said Pakistan had suffered the most, both in the number of human lives and material, but that could not weaken its resolve to fight terrorism.
“We have no other option but to fight it out so that we could have peace and tranquilly in the region,” Ashraf said.
Grossman said the US believes its relationship with Pakistan should be enduring, strategic and clearly defined.
“The US and Pakistan should work together to identify shared interests and act on them jointly, for the benefit of both nations and the region,” the US embassy said in a statement.
“The US looks forward to welcoming Foreign Minister Khar to Washington and President Zardari to New York for the UN General Assembly, and looks forward to several bilateral working groups this fall,” it said.
Grossman said each of the engagements was an opportunity to continue to identify shared interests and discuss concrete actions the two countries can take together.
The US envoy also raised the case of Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who was arrested for helping the CIA reach Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.