‘Pakistan wants trusting, mutually respectable ties with US’

WASHINGTON: Pakistan wants to forge a relationship with the United States that must be based on principles of mutual trust and respect, Islamabad's new ambassador in Washington Sherry Rehman said.

"We want to reset our relations on a more equitable, consistent and predictable basis," she said in her first interaction with Washington-based Pakistani media representatives since assuming her ambassadorial assignment.

Ambassador Rehman spoke as a Parliamentary review of Pakistan's relations with the United States neared its completion, more than two months after the November 26 strikes on Pakistani check posts, which claimed lives of 24 soldiers in a major blow to bilateral ties.

Sherry Rehman said Islamabad stands for peace and stability in the region and was working to improve its bilateral relations with its neighbours including Afghanistan and India.

She particularly referred to the situation in Afghanistan where NATO was preparing to hand over security to Afghan forces as it moves to the year 2014 deadline to end combat operations in Afghanistan and completely transfer security to the Afghans.

"Pakistan wants to see a responsible withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan," she said, recalling repercussions that Pakistan had to contend with in the aftermath of post-Soviet withdrawal in 1990s as the world powers left Pakistan alone to deal with the wreckage of war that included social and security problems.

Any instability in Afghanistan, the top Pakistani diplomat in Washington said, would affect Pakistan more than any other country in the region.

Ambassador Rehman also drew attention to Islamabad's longstanding demand that it get a fair treatment in terms of trade access to the United States.

"We are looking for trade and not aid--- we are looking for a level playing field in trade relations, for our textile products."

However, Ambassador Rehman would not go into specifics of the kind of relations that Pakistan would like to have with the United States, saying she would await the release of the Parliamentary review.

The envoy identified terrorism as a big menace for Pakistan and noted that the country, its forces and people have suffered the most in the anti-terror fight.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012