Re-engagement with US in light of parliamentary review: Zardari tells Grossman

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the Parliamentary review of Pak-US relations, that was long overdue, was a manifestation that democracy is taking roots in Pakistan and the elected representatives taking ownership of one of Pakistan's most important bilateral relationships.
He said this during his meeting with Marc Grossman, Special US Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan in Dushanbe on Sunday. Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying that the government wanted to revive the relationship with the US on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest and in the light of parliamentary review.
Pakistan wanted to re-engage with the US at all levels in the light of the parliamentary review which, the President said, would be completed soon.
Farhatullah Babar said that the President also drew attention to the need for a greater transparency in the relationship.
During the meeting, the President also called for exploring options for increased market access through preferential tariff for Pakistan exports to the US markets.
The spokesperson said that President Zardari also raised the issue of drug trade that was providing financial sustainability to the militants and called for concerted international efforts to curb the menace.
He said that large quantities of opiates entered Pakistan from across the border and called for the US and Nato forces to interdict the movement of drugs which he said was critical for drying up the financial sources of militants.
About the drone attacks the President said that these violated Pakistan's sovereignty, and were counterproductive.
The President said that Pakistan believed that peace and stability in Pakistan depended on peace and stability in Afghanistan and that Pakistan would continue to fight the militants till the logical end.
Farhatullah Babar said that during meeting with Grossman President Zardari also drew his attention towards the energy crisis in Pakistan and said that Iran Pakistan gas pipeline line project concluded years ago should be seen as vital to solving Pakistan's energy problem and its economic development.
Grossman thanked the President for meeting him and said that the United States respected the Parliamentary process of overview of relationship and expressed the hope that the process would be completed soon and the Pak-US relations would soon be back on track.
Those who attended the meeting included from the US side Ambassador Munter and other senior US officials. The Pakistan side included Interior Minister Rehamn Malik, spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilnai, Pakistan's Ambassador in Afghanistan and senior officials of the Foreign Office.