Pakistan tells U.S. lack of money may harm anti-terror war

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani warned Saturday that public support to the anti-terror war could be badly affected if the international community particularly failed to start delivering over their pledges to help Pakistan provide relief to the ordinary people and to undertake projects in the affected areas.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while talking to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Special U.S. Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan who called on him in the Prime Minister's House, a statement from the PM office said.

Gilani termed the public support in war against terror as vitally important and stated that while the time was fast running out on his Government's rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the areas cleared from militants, the committed assistance, at the Tokyo Donors Conference held more than a year ago, was yet to be delivered by the donor countries.

"This delay had further accentuated the economic and energy crisis in Pakistan and the extremist elements were taking advantage of that situation," Gilani told the U.S. envoy.

The Prime Minister called on the U.S. government to continue using its influence with some of the European countries which were still hesitant in facilitating Pakistan's case for greater market access.

Gilani called upon the U.S. to, in the meantime, positively consider Pakistan's request for expansion of its tariff lines for Pakistan's textile items, for providing immediate relief to Pakistan for increasing its exports and generating new job opportunities.

Holbrooke who is on his two-day visit to Pakistan, in his response, expressed his country's complete understanding of the major security and economic challenges being faced by Pakistan and assured the Prime Minister of full U.S. support to help it overcome them, the statement said.

Holbrooke commended that despite all the difficulties being faced by Pakistan's economy, its growth had returned because of the government of Pakistan's economic policies and it was now for the international community to come forward to help Pakistan sustain that economic growth.

Source: Xinhua