Pakistan says US aid ’signal of long term commitment’

October 7th, 2009 Pakistani official says US aid is crucialWASHINGTON — Pakistan's foreign minister said Wednesday that a proposed multibillion-dollar U.S. aid package is crucial to Islamabad's efforts to fight terrorists.

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Stung by the tough counter-terrorism conditions attached to the unprecedented five-year, $7.5-billion non-military aid programme approved by the US Congress last week, Pakistan has said it would not brook any interference in its internal affairs. "We have in President (Barack) Obama and Secretary (Hillary) Clinton two individuals who want to befriend Pakistan, the people of Pakistan," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Tuesday after a meeting with Clinton focusing on the Afghan situation and American aid.

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Following the passage of the Kerry-Lugar Bill, the United States has signed an agreement with Pakistan to provide 920 million dollar fund to resurrect its health, education, governance and reconstruction sectors. "The agreements bring the total obligations to Pakistan through USAID this year to 920 million dollars," the Daily Times quoted a US embassy statement, as saying.

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pakistan's envoy to the US, Hussain Haqqani, has said the Kerry-Lugar Bill has no provision to restrict Islamabad's nuclear programme. However, he added, that the bill prevents Pakistan from being part of any outward proliferation.

September 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan was elected to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Friday under the reserved seat for the Middle East and South Asia (MESA), the Online news agency reported. The decision was taken at the ongoing IAEA General Conference in Vienna Sep 14-18.

August 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Concerned over a new public opinion poll in Pakistan showing that 64 percent Pakistanis see America as the enemy, Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the US must maintain relationships with Pakistan for the long term to build trust. The poll saying only 9 percent of Pakistanis see the US as a partner is disturbing to defence leaders, but not surprising, he said during a Pentagon news conference Thursday.

July 21st, 2009 LONDON - Flings are no more the 'in-thing' as an overwhelming 95 percent of Britons want a long-term relationship, says a new study. A further two-thirds favoured marriage as it showed commitment, the LoveGeist Report 2009, which polled more than 16,000 people, found.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A day after describing Pakistan as the home of a global syndicate of terrorism, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday said she has seen real commitment by the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and underlined that Islamabad deserved support. "I have seen a real commitment by the Pakistan government in fighting terrorism," Clinton said while interacting with students at Delhi University.

July 18th, 2009 MUMBAI - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday that Pakistan needed to "root out" terrorist groups directed against Indian interests. Clinton told a news conference here that the US had seen a much greater effort and commitment ...

July 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen has said that the United States is in the process of nurturing a long-term relationship with Pakistan to help the troubled nation counter the threat emanating from extremist organizations like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda better. Mullen said it is very important for the US to help the security forces of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to quell terrorism more effectively.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives has passed a bill proposing to triple US non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year but linking military assistance to Islamabad demonstrating a sustained commitment to combating terrorist groups. The Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement (PEACE) Act 2009 passed by a vote of 234 to 185 Thursday also authorises military assistance to help Pakistan disrupt and defeat Al Qaeda and insurgent elements, and requires that the vast majority of such assistance be focused on critical counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism efforts.

May 14th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan has asked the United States to hand over the 'ownership' and not only 'control' of the drones operating inside its territory. Referring to Washington's decision to give Islamabad control over the drone strikes in the tribal regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said such 'half measures' would be of no use.

May 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama promised a lasting commitment to Afghanistan and Pakistan after a three-way summit Wednesday between the countries. 'The security of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States are linked,' Obama said after a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the White House.

May 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Asking Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to defeating Al Qaeda and other militants on its soil, the US has said that it 'unambiguously' supports Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. 'We do not think Pakistan is a failed state,' US special envoy Richard Holbrooke said in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday in advance of Wednesday's meeting between Zardari and President Barack Obama.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States President Barack Obama, while unveiling his new Pak-Afghan strategy on Friday, has said that Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to root out Al-Qaida. "We cannot and we will not give a blank cheque to Pakistan," said Obama, adding: "extremists are a cancer that is killing Pakistan from within" "We will pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan," Obama added.