WASHINGTON :President Asif Ali Zardari will reach here on Monday evening for his first official visit to Washington, during which he will hold talks with President Barack Obama on bolstering bilateral relations and attend a trilateral meeting on ways to root out violent extremism from Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
Besides attending a trilateral summit with President Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai at the White House, the Pakistani leader is scheduled to have a series of meeting with American leaders including Vice President Joseph Biden, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
Zardari will also be interacting with top congressional leaders on the Capitol Hill including members of the influential Senate and House committees dealing with foreign affairs. On the eve of the visit, US presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke expressed the administration's full support for the democratic government, saying Obama wants to back Islamabad's effort to get rid of militancy with both security and economic assistance.
According to Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, Hussain Haqqani, Islamabad wants a durable and wide-ranging relationship with Washington, which should not be based on quid pro quo but on the principles of sovereign equality of nations.
"In this respect, we welcome initiatives to expand the relationship to trade and economic fields," Haqqani says referring to the administration's moves toward a preferential trade programme known as Reconstruction Opportunity Zones and a long-term plan to provide $1.5 billion to Pakistan annually. "Our objective is to develop a strategic partnership with the US that enhances Pakistan's security and prosperity," Haqqani stressed.
Islamabad also welcomes the US support in rallying the world economic powers and international financial institutions behind Pakistan's economic development plans. According to Finance Ministry, it has lost as much as $35 billion in economic activity to fight against terrorism and resultant spate of attacks in its cities. Pakistan has urged Washington to provide it the much-needed security equipment for an effective fight against al Qaeda militants. The administration is trying to fast-track security and economic assistance for Pakistan as it is endeavouring to get congressional approval for both a five-year $ three billion Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund and a five-year $7.5 billion economic assistance under Kerry-Lugar legislative measure.
The Pakistani leader's visit takes place in the backdrop of some important developments in Pakistan including its effort to enforce security in Swat valley through introduction of Sharia Law in accordance with the aspiration of the local people. Pakistan's security forces have also been fighting the Taliban militants to wrest control of some key north-western areas including Buner and Lower Dir.
In the three-way talks, the Pakistani side is expected to underline the importance of building trust and adopting a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to containing the menace of extremism in the long-term perspective. The Pakistani officials will also raise the issue of drone attacks on suspected al Qaeda targets in the tribal areas, an issue, which has drawn criticism from American experts as well, who call it counterproductive to overall anti-terror effort.
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