Pak-US relations no longer transactional: Haqqani

Washington, Jan 19 (ANI): Pakistan Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, has said that his country's relationship with Washington is no longer transactional, and added that they are now long-term and strategic in nature.

Addressing a gathering of intellectuals, think-tank members and academia at the Nixon Centre here, Haqqani said: "The new US Administration and the democratic Government in Pakistan have common stance on how the two countries should cooperate not only in the fight against terrorism but also in the fields of education, health, trade and infrastructure building."

In this context, he referred to the proposed Biden-Lugar legislation "that seeks to significantly expand the economic assistance for Pakistan over a decade", and said it represents the nature of future long-term strategic partnership between the two countries.

The News quoted Haqqani as saying that Pakistan was undergoing a huge transformation from the dictatorship to democracy.

"The decision-making process may be slow but once a policy is formulated, it carries with it the will of the people. It has been the government's policy to take all national political entities into confidence on important issues confronting Pakistan today," he said.

On terrorism, Haqqani said: "The new political Government in Pakistan has given ownership to the fight against terrorism and considers it as the Pakistan's fight. Now the entire nation backs the government's move to flush out terrorists from its border areas."

"The leadership in both Pakistan and Afghanistan has a shared vision that terrorism can only be defeated with a comprehensive strategy that includes military, political and economic elements," he added. (ANI)