Curtailment of US aid to Pak could damage ties: Aslam

Pakistan has sent a clear message to the US that if Washington curtailed its assistance to Islamabad it would be unacceptable, and could damage relations between the two countries.If this assistance is curtailed, it is sure to damage the kind of strategic relationship that both countries desire to have, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

Islamabad, Aug 7 : Pakistan has sent a clear message to the US that if Washington curtailed its assistance to Islamabad it would be unacceptable, and could damage relations between the two countries."If this assistance is curtailed, it is sure to damage the kind of strategic relationship that both countries desire to have," Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

Commenting on remarks made by Nicholas Burns, Aslam said the under-secretary echoed earlier remarks of the US officials, who had been asking Pakistan to do more while ignoring that Pakistan was already doing a lot.

"Pakistan is working with the international community to eliminate terrorism and there are well-known parameters for cooperation. Vice President Dick Cheney recognised Pakistan's contribution in a recent interview," she added.

Pakistan was doing everything to cleanse FATA and other areas of terrorism, the Daily Times quoted Aslam, as saying.

She termed Burns justification of an anti-Pakistan legislation, as unfortunate, and said that Pakistan's relations with the US would suffer if it stopped assistance as suggested in the new legislation.

With a fresh legislation, which has now become law with President George Bush's signing of the bill, conditionalities have been imposed on Pakistan, empowering the US President to withhold assistance to Islamabad if it does not fulfil conditions included in the legislation.

ANI