Former foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that Pakistan and United States must lay foundation of a durable relationship based on equality which could not be harmed by any single issue. While addressing a public meeting at Ghanta Ghar Chowk here, he said that United States must give weight to the numerous sacrifices Pakistan had rendered so far in the fight against terrorism for world peace.
The former PPP minister arrived at Multan airport at around 2pm on Saturday and then reached the public meeting site while leading a rally of supporters. He said that while he was serving the country as foreign minister, he had told the US leaders that Pakistan-US relations tend to ebb and flow over time and that the two countries have to lay the foundation of a durable relationship that can not be harmed by any issue. He said that after going through law provisions, he was of the considered view that US demand for a diplomatic immunity for Raymond Davis was not valid.
Referring to the recent statement of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding strained Pak-US relationship, he questioned: "I want to ask who was responsible for this situation?" He said that he was still a diehard worker of PPP and has no differences with the party and its leadership.