United States Vice-President Joe Biden on Wednesday sought to allay fears in Pakistan of America's growing equation with India and maintained that India-U.S. relations were not aimed at dismantling Pakistan. “A strong, stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, including India,” according to him, is not just in the interest of Pakistan but also the entire region and the world.
Mr. Biden made these remarks at an interaction with the media along with Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on his day-long visit to the country, the first since taking over as Vice-President in January 2009. He also sought to counter the perception that the U.S. was anti-Islam.
“We are not enemies of Islam. We embrace those who practice that great religion in our country,” he said, underlining the fact that both the U.S. and Pakistan were in a partnership against extreme ideologies.
On extremism, Mr. Biden brought up the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer; stating that he was killed simply because he was a voice for tolerance and understanding. Of the view that there could be no justification for such actions, he said societies which tolerated such actions ended up being consumed by them.
Referring to the perception that in its fight against the Al-Qaeda, the U.S. had imposed a war on Pakistan, Mr. Biden pointed out that the Al-Qaeda “continues to plot attacks against the U.S. and our interests to this very day” and “they have found refuge in the most remote portions of your country.”
Earlier, during his meeting with Mr. Biden, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated Pakistan's stated position that drone attacks were counter-productive as they undermined the national consensus on the war on terror.
Meanwhile, the day also saw a drone attack — the fifth this year — in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan where the U.S. wants Pakistan to “do more” against terrorists' safe havens. Before heading to Pakistan from Afghanistan, Mr. Biden had in a media interaction said the gains made by the coalition forces could be reversed without more pressure on the Taliban from Pakistan.
