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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Gen Petraeus calls on president, PM
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday stressed the need for halting the drone strikes and urged its key ally, the United States, to enhance intelligence-sharing with Islamabad.
Pakistan’s concern over the drone attacks was conveyed to the visiting US Centcom chief General Petraeus, who called on President Asif Ali Zadari here on Tuesday. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and US Ambassador to Pakistan Ms Anne W Patterson were also present in the meeting.
The security situation in Afghanistan, the ongoing war on terror and the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India came under discussion during the meeting. President Zardari said the drone attacks in the tribal areas were weakening the writ of the government and destabilising the political process, according to sources.
The sources said the president was of the view that the ongoing war on terror had badly affected Pakistan’s economy and that the world should help Pakistan tackle the economic challenges.
Zardari said Pakistan wanted to re-initiate the composite dialogue process with India as the tension between the two countries was in favour of terrorists.
He urged the United States to stop the drone attacks in the tribal belt and fulfill its commitment to create the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in that region.
The president said the construction of ROZs would boost socio-economic development in the tribal areas. General Petraeus, on the occasion, appreciated Pakistan’s pivotal role in the war on terror.
Later, General Petreaus called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at the Prime Minister House. The prime minister exchanged views with General Petreaus on the regional situation with particular focus on Pakistan-US cooperation in counter-terrorism.
The security situation in Afghanistan as well as the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India was also discussed. The prime minister highlighted the steps taken by Pakistan to promote peace, security and stability as well as Pakistan’s determination to counter terrorism in the region.
He also informed General Petreaus about the steps taken by Pakistan in the context of Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to defuse tensions with India. General Petreaus applauded the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to promote peace and stability in the region and expressed his keen interest in further intensifying the US-Pakistan cooperation. General Petreaus also expressed his appreciation over the series of actions taken by Pakistan to uncover the full facts relating to the Mumbai terrorist attacks and said that these were most “heartening”.
Petreaus said that the US was working to defuse tension in South Asia and appreciated the restraint and responsibility demonstrated by Pakistan.
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‘Al-Qaeda, Taliban leaders not in Pakistan’
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Sen Lugar’s wife arrested, charged with drinking, hit-and-run
News Desk
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briefs...
Bombers kill 23 in Afghanistan
HERAT: Bomb attacks on Friday killed 23 people in Afghanistan, a deadly start to President Hamid Karzai’s second term that underscored spiralling insecurity nine years into more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
