PML-Q (Like-minded Group) President Senator Salim Saifullah Khan on Friday asked the visiting US parliamentarians to urge the Obama administration to write off Pakistan's debts and table a new military assistance bill for Pakistan without strings.
He expressed these views in a meeting with a six-member US Congressional delegation headed by David Price, Chairman of the House Democracy Partnership Commission. US Ambassador N W Patterson was also present. Saifullah said Pakistan is badly hit by the US war on terror and has lost thousands of citizens, besides suffering huge financial loss in terms of damaged infrastructure worth $38 billion. This has also affected the country's economy besides a sizeable cut in foreign investment.
Saifullah said his party urged the visiting US parliamentarians to enhance its financial assistance to Pakistan, especially for development of infrastructure, which suffered badly following war on terror. The PML leader said Pakistan Army was single-handedly making historic achievements in the war against terror, while in Afghanistan the US and Nato forces were fighting off Taliban.
Calling for an end to media speculations against Pakistan's strategic assets, Saifullah said it would be better for the US media to focus on the efforts Pakistan has made to safeguard its nuclear assets through foolproof security system.
He said the US media should appreciate the efforts of Pakistan Army but instead it has always been raising questions against the sincerity of Pakistan in war on terror, which resultantly air anti-US sentiments in Pakistan," he added.
Referring to the humiliating language used in Kerry-Lugar package, Salim Saifullah Khan said the package should have aimed at facilitating Pakistan rather than embarrassing it. "The US administration should bring a new military aid bill without any conditions as it would decrease the trust-deficit between both the allies," he said.