US will help consolidate Pakistan’s democratic institutions, Hillary Clinton
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Lahore, Pakistan:- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Pakistan and the US are facing challenges of terrorism as Peshawar blast shows that Pakistan is in the midst of terrorism. She said that Pakistan will certainly win war against terrorism. She said that trust deficit between both the countries should have to be curtailed. She said that we have to build a relation based on mutual respect and shared responsibilities.
Hillary Clinton, while addressing the students of Government College University in Lahore, said that the US will continue help to strengthen Pakistan’s democratic institutions. She said that Pakistan is on the way to a durable democracy. She said democracy is much more than elections, a strong democracy needs to have independent judiciary, free press and rule of law. The elected leaders should have to respect minority rights, pluralism, accountability, transparency and separations of powers. Talking about former president Musharraf’s trial, she said that it is Pakistan’s internal matter.
She said that President Obama wants to build long-term relations with Pakistani people instead of individuals. She said that both of the countries have to mend the concerns and fears of each other. She announced that the US will give 45 million dollars to Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for the promotion of education in the country.
Answering a question, she said that the US has good relations with both Pakistan and India. She said that the US had never preferred India against Pakistan.
To another question, she said that Kerry-Lugar Bill has been passed to help build the economy of Pakistan, and it will not compromise the sovereignty of Pakistan. And the US has no intentions to micromanage Pakistan.
Earlier, she visited Badshahi Mosque, Allama Iqbal Tomb and Lahore Fort. She laid the wreath at Allama Iqbal tomb and lauded the Mughal art in the Lahore Fort. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, US ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Peterson, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other officials accompanied the US Secretary of State.
She arrived in Lahore this morning from Islamabad. Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif greeted Hillary Clinton at the Allama Iqbal Airport. According to the traffic diversion plan, the Mall, Jail Road and Lower Mall are closed for ordinary traffic and motorists are being diverted to alternative routes.
Security of the city has put on high alert while 17 schools along with the University of the Punjab were ordered to remain closed today. Schools at Upper and Lower Mall along with Punjab University were closed due to security concerns. She will also meet Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif today.
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