ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has warned that an escalation in Indo-Pak tension might harm the war on terror in the region, urging the United States to play a concrete role in solving the Kashmir dispute rationally. Talking to U.S. Vice President-elect Joseph Biden who called on him here Friday at President House, President Zardari linked the durable peace in the region with the rational solution of Kashmir dispute and urged the U.S. to play its role in this regard.
The two leaders discussed various issues of bilateral interests in their meeting, also attended by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to United States of America Hussain Haqqani and US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson.
President Zardari apprised the Vice President elect about Pakistan’s commitment and the measures being taken by the government in the war against militancy, extremism and terrorism.
He also apprised him of his recent successful visit to Afghanistan where the two countries also signed a joint declaration. He said Pakistan believed in peace and stability in Afghanistan.
President Zardari informed the visiting US official that Pakistan is working on a multi-pronged policy to counter extremism and terrorism in its land and wants peaceful relations with all its neighbors, including India.
He declared that Pakistan is committed to unveil the culprits of Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The U.S VP-elect said the new US administration believes in having a long, real and broad commitment to Pakistan with a view to support its stability and nascent democracy.
Biden said the United States of America was positive in terms of assisting Pakistan as it was its important ally and partner.
Joseph Biden is visiting South Asia with a bipartisan congressional delegation and as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
A statement from Biden’s Senate office said the purpose of this trip was fact-finding.
In the coming months both the executive and legislative branches will carefully review US policy toward this region, and the trip will allow the participants to bring current and first-hand information to these reviews, Biden’s senate spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander earlier said.
The vice president-elect is also accompanied by Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina of the US Armed Services Committee.
this news pblished by www.apakistannews.com
