US again urges Pakistan to hold free and fair elections

The United States has once again urged Pakistan to work for the early restoration of democracy in the country by holding a free and fair elections by the year end.

Washington, July 2 : The United States has once again urged Pakistan to work for the early restoration of democracy in the country by holding a free and fair elections by the year end.

In an updated report on US-Pakistan relations issued by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Washington said that a "stable, democratic and economically" thriving Pakistan is considered vital to US interests.

"US concerns regarding Pakistan include regional terrorism, Afghan stability, weapons proliferation, the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions, human rights protection and economic development," says the report.

"The deal signed by the government in South Waziristan with "the region's pro-Taliban militants (combined with longer-term economic and infrastructure development in the region), a tack that has elicited scepticism in Western capitals...appears to be failing," it adds.

The Daily Times quotes the report as saying that the Congress has annually granted one-year presidential authority to waive aside aid if there is a coup in Pakistan.

Pakistan is among the world's leading recipients of US aid, obtaining about 3.4 billion dollars in direct US assistance during 2002-2006, including nearly 1.5 billion dollars in security-related aid, says the report, adding that Islamabad has also received nearly five billion dollars in reimbursements for its support of US-led counter-terrorism operations since 2001.

ANI