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Anti-terror war has paralysed Pakistan economy, US told
LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that the US-led war against terrorism in the region and the consequent violence in Pakistan had almost paralysed the country economy.
The president was talking to a US delegation led by the Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke. US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson was also present.
The president said that Pakistans industrial growth and export potential had been severely restricted first, because the region was a theatre of war against a rival ideology in the past, and second, because of rising militancy in the country as a consequence of the first.
According a handout, Mr Zardari criticised new US measures for screening Pakistanis at airports and said the policy had triggered a negative social and political impact in Pakistan.
According to the presidents press secretary Taimoor Azmat Usman, Mr Zardari told the American delegation that the policy had generated disappointing and damaging response in Pakistan. These (screening) procedures are no doubt derogatory for the people of Pakistan, he added.
Expressing his personal concern over the new screening policy, Mr Holbrooke assured the president that the decision would be reviewed soon.
He said the policy had been framed by the Homeland Security Department, but it would come under a review shortly.
Issues relating to drone attacks, war against militancy, reconstruction opportunity zones in Fata, Coalition Support Fund arrears and economic assistance also came under discussion.
The president pointed that drone strikes had undermined the consensus against the war on militancy. He reiterated his governments demand for transfer of drone technology to Pakistan.
The delegation informed the president that the US administration was clearing $349 million left over from 2008 dues. In addition, $1.4 billion in dues of 2009 are going through accounting process and will be released shortly. This should clear all dues under the Coalition Support Fund, they added.
Mr Zardari praised US commitment to Pakistans stability, security and prosperity. It must be based on mutual respect and trust. Democratic stability in Pakistan is contingent upon advancement of our development agenda in which the US and other industrialised countries can play a great role.
According to the presidents spokesman Farhatullah Babar, Mr Zardari also called for greater access to US and European markets and told the delegation that economic cost of the war against terror had touched a staggering $35 billion.
Keeping in view the cumulative cost of the war on terror and militancy, Pakistan needs a Marshall Plan-like lifeline to overcome its economic problems and international community must come forward. The Friends of Democratic Pakistan must translate their pledges of economic and financial support to Pakistan into reality, the president was reported to have told the delegation.
Mr Zardari also sought preferential treatment for Pakistani goods because it was in a state of war on behalf of the international community. He said that although US laws linked tariff regime to the level of development of the exporting country, Pakistan should be exempted because of its special circumstances resulting from the war on terror.
The US officials said they understood the arguments, but such matters needed time-consuming legislation. The process has already begun.
The US, they added, was also expediting the legislative process for creating reconstruction opportunity zones and some kind of preferential tariff regime for goods from Pakistan.
The president was assisted by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Hammad, Presidents Secretary General Salman Farooqui and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Anti-terror war has paralysed Pakistan economy, US told
LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that the US-led war against terrorism in the region and the consequent violence in Pakistan had almost paralysed the country economy.
The president was talking to a US delegation led by the Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke. US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson was also present.
The president said that Pakistans industrial growth and export potential had been severely restricted first, because the region was a theatre of war against a rival ideology in the past, and second, because of rising militancy in the country as a consequence of the first.
According a handout, Mr Zardari criticised new US measures for screening Pakistanis at airports and said the policy had triggered a negative social and political impact in Pakistan.
According to the presidents press secretary Taimoor Azmat Usman, Mr Zardari told the American delegation that the policy had generated disappointing and damaging response in Pakistan. These (screening) procedures are no doubt derogatory for the people of Pakistan, he added.
Expressing his personal concern over the new screening policy, Mr Holbrooke assured the president that the decision would be reviewed soon.
He said the policy had been framed by the Homeland Security Department, but it would come under a review shortly.
Issues relating to drone attacks, war against militancy, reconstruction opportunity zones in Fata, Coalition Support Fund arrears and economic assistance also came under discussion.
The president pointed that drone strikes had undermined the consensus against the war on militancy. He reiterated his governments demand for transfer of drone technology to Pakistan.
The delegation informed the president that the US administration was clearing $349 million left over from 2008 dues. In addition, $1.4 billion in dues of 2009 are going through accounting process and will be released shortly. This should clear all dues under the Coalition Support Fund, they added.
Mr Zardari praised US commitment to Pakistans stability, security and prosperity. It must be based on mutual respect and trust. Democratic stability in Pakistan is contingent upon advancement of our development agenda in which the US and other industrialised countries can play a great role.
According to the presidents spokesman Farhatullah Babar, Mr Zardari also called for greater access to US and European markets and told the delegation that economic cost of the war against terror had touched a staggering $35 billion.
Keeping in view the cumulative cost of the war on terror and militancy, Pakistan needs a Marshall Plan-like lifeline to overcome its economic problems and international community must come forward. The Friends of Democratic Pakistan must translate their pledges of economic and financial support to Pakistan into reality, the president was reported to have told the delegation.
Mr Zardari also sought preferential treatment for Pakistani goods because it was in a state of war on behalf of the international community. He said that although US laws linked tariff regime to the level of development of the exporting country, Pakistan should be exempted because of its special circumstances resulting from the war on terror.
The US officials said they understood the arguments, but such matters needed time-consuming legislation. The process has already begun.
The US, they added, was also expediting the legislative process for creating reconstruction opportunity zones and some kind of preferential tariff regime for goods from Pakistan.
The president was assisted by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Hammad, Presidents Secretary General Salman Farooqui and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Anti-terror war has paralysed Pakistan economy, US told
wat ever you getting high on let me know man make some sense rather then using hateful words wat are you a little kid grow up talk like man talk about peace and friendship stop hating 
