[The News (Pak) Top Stories] President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday expressed Pakistan's concern over the continuous drone attacks on Pakistani territory, saying it undermined the national consensus against the war on militancy.The president's remarks came during a meeting of the US Congressional delegation, led by Senator John McCain, who called on Zardari at the Presidency on Thursday.
The president urged the American delegation to persuade US policymakers to give drone technology to Pakistan, so that militants could be targeted by Pakistan's security forces themselves rather than by foreign troops, which raised questions of sovereignty.
Referring to President Obama's new Afghan strategy, the president said Pakistan had legitimate interests in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and urged that the US must remain sensitive to Pakistan's core national interests and concerns.
"The US actions should remain on the Afghan side of the border," he added. While lauding the US assistance for Pakistan, he said the assistance could be channelised through the government in accordance with Pakistan's priorities and programmes and ensured transparency, accountability and efficacy in terms of results.
He said the economic cost of the war on terror, amounting to $35 billion for the last eight years, had almost paralysed Pakistan's economy. "Pakistan has been facing delays in payments of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) claims," he said.
He urged for timely reimbursement of over one billion dollars on account of the CSF. The president underlined the need for the strategic long-term partnership between Pakistan and the United States, to be based on mutual interest, respect and trust.
He hailed President Obama's affirmation of the US commitment to Pakistan's stability, security and prosperity, and said democratic stability in Pakistan was contingent upon advancement of our development agenda for which the US support was critical.
President Zardari stressed the need for market access to the Pakistani goods into the US and EU markets and asked the Congressional delegation to play their role for the early adoption of the ROZs' legislation in the US Congress, which would usher in a new era of socio-economic development in the areas affected by the war against militancy.
The delegation lauded Pakistan's role in the war against extremism and militancy and assured full support in taking this war to its logical end. The delegation, besides Senator John McCain, included Senator Joseph Liberman, Senator Johan Barrasso, Christian Brose, foreign policy adviser, Vance Serchuk and Brooke Buchanan.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson and senior officials in the US embassy were also present. The Pakistani side comprised Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Secretary-General to the President Salman Faruqui, Sughra Imam, Farahnaz Ispahani and others.
AFP adds: Earlier, McCain said on Thursday in Kabul that the use of drone strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan was an effective part of the US strategy and should continue. "The drone strikes are part of an overall set of tactics which make up the strategy for victory and they have been very effective," McCain told reporters during a brief trip to Afghanistan.