The visiting Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher, on Thursday said Pakistan's economical and political development was the US target and Washington was closely working with Islamabad to achieve the ultimate goal.
Addressing a press conference here after holding high level meetings during his stay in Islamabad, Richard Boucher said he had held fruitful discussions with the President General Pervez Musharraf.
He said, he also talked to Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and Pakistan's political leadership on Pak-US strategic dialogue, covering key subjects such as formation of special economic and industrial zones along Pak-Afghan border, recently held Pak-Afghan jirga, and a strategy that can ensure free and transparent general elections in Pakistan.
He said US administration was also working closely with Islamabad on Pakistan's energy needs and a high level delegation from Washington is going to visit Islamabad shortly to explore the opportunities for co-operation on energy issue. He said US was financing a number of projects in Pakistan to provide the new opportunities to the people to generate more income and live better life.
He said American Congress was working on a law to fund the project for establishing economic and industrial zones near Pak-Afghan border to provide the people living there opportunities for better earning to improve their living standard.
He said the zones will provide jobs to the people in tribal areas of Pakistan and help Pakistan cut down poverty in the underdeveloped areas. Boucher said US will spend 750 million dollar on the project over next five years.
He said Pakistan was close ally of US and the new legislation's will not have adverse effect on Pak-US bilateral relations. He added that the US was striving to transform Pakistan into a modern and civilised society based on the basic fundamental of the people's welfare and prosperity.
Boucher told a questioner that he believes that the President Musharraf and others in Pakistan were committed to ensure free and fair elections and the US administration will play the role of a facilitator to achieve the end goal. He said Musharraf and Rice held midnight telephone talk on some issues of mutual interest and it shows how frequently US and Pakistan's leadership talks on the issues of key importance.
He avoided to give direct answer to a questioner who wanted to know as if Rice called Musharraf to bar him from imposing state of emergency a few days back.
He also gave slippery answer of another question of doffing of uniform by Pervez Musharraf before general elections in Pakistan. He said like Pakistani nation, he also believes in Musharraf that he will not violate the constitution on the question of his presidential election. He added that Pakistan needs to plug in weaknesses in its system to avoid any extraordinary step like state of emergency.
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