Clinton Regrets Extending Support To Dictatorship

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday admitted that the United States had made a mistake in past to support the dictators but in the same breath she assured that this mistake would not be repeated in future.

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday admitted that the United States had made a mistake in past to support the dictators but in the same breath she assured that this mistake would not be repeated in future.

“The US secretary of state in her meeting with parliamentarians acknowledged that the United States had made a mistake in the past to lend its support to successive dictators and assured that in future no relation would be established with individuals but with the state and people of Pakistan,” said Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza while talking to a group of journalists at her Chamber at the Parliament House.

Earlier, Hillary Clinton held an interactive meeting with Farooq H Naek, Chairman Senate, Dr Fehmida Mirza and parliamentarians of all shades of opinion at the Parliament House. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Opposition Leader in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, parliamentary leaders of all the political parties, including Faisal Saleh Hayat of the PML-Q, Jehangir Tarin of the PML-F, Farooq Sattar of the MQM, Senator Haji Adeel of the ANP, Aftab Sherpao (PPP-S), Senator Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of the PKMAP, Senator Ishaq Dar and women parliamentarians, including Kashmala Tariq of the PML(LM), Fauzia Wahab and Sherry Rehman also attended the meeting.

In three hours interaction with Hillary Clinton, all the parliamentarians voiced their concern over continued drone attacks in the tribal areas and the presence of Blackwater in Pakistan.

However, one dissenting voice in support by a senator from Balochistan was also echoed in the meeting. “Yes, few parliamentarians supported the drone attacks,” said the speaker.

The sources said while replying to Sherry Rehman’s question on the presence of private security guards, Clinton promised that they should abide the law of land and assured that she would take up this issue.

The speaker said the meeting was held with open mind in which the members expressed their concern over the trade deficit between the US and Pakistan and asked the US secretary of State to move ahead to remove the existing trust deficit.

“The parliamentarians were of the view that the United State should have to take the steps to remove the trust deficit,” she added.She said the parliamentarians also raised their concern over the US past practice of not fulfilling its pledges and promises and told her that if the Washington wanted to bridge the gap of trust deficit then it should realise the pledges and fulfill its promises with the people of Pakistan.

Clinton told them, Fehmida said, the Obama administration had reviewed the past policies of the US and now decided to interact with the people of Pakistan and parliamentarians for which a mechanism was being devised.

The speaker said about continued drone attacks, Clinton told the parliamentarians that the opinion in Pakistan was divided over this issue as there were people who described the drone attacks as a positive step.

About the Kerry Lugar Law, the speaker said the US secretary of State was of the view that the United States wanted to help the democracy in Pakistan and the aid was also being provided under the KLL for this purpose. However, the speaker said Hillary Clinton assured the parliamentarians that on her return to Washington, she would convey their reservations regarding the conditionalities in the KLL to the US administration.

The speaker said Hillary Clinton appreciated the sacrifices of the Pakistan armed forces in the war against terror. She said the United States would provide the assistance for the training of parliamentarians and staff of the Parliament House.

Answering another question, she said the parliamentarians called for writing off Pakistan’s loan as an old ally and Hillary Clinton assured that she would take up this issue with the US treasury. However, the US secretary of State said that there would be conditionalities if the loans were written off, the speaker said