ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday emphasized that the issue of arrears in Coalition Support Fund amounting to over 1.3 billion dollars be resolved at the earliest.“Pakistan has been facing delays in payments of Coalition Support Fund claims”, the President informed the US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and urged for timely reimbursement of arrears.
The US Secretary of Defence called on President Zardari in the Presidency here Thursday evening where he also had a dinner with the President.
Security situation in the region, Drone attacks, reimbursement of Coalition Support Fund arrears, fight against militancy, drug trafficking, the new US screening regime and strengthening of Pakistan’s law enforcing agencies were discussed in the meeting.
Robert Gates was accompanied by US Ambassador to Islamabad Anne W. Petterson and senior officials of his delegation. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Secretary General to President Salman Farooqui, Senator Sughra Imam, Farahnaz Ispahani MNA and Secretaries Defence and Foreign Affairs besides other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
Briefing media about the meeting, spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said the President said that the economic cost of the war against terror amounting to US $ 35 billion for the last eight years had gravely impacted on Pakistan’s economy adversely and the amount under CSF had actually been spent by Pakistan that needed to be reimbursed urgently.
Reviewing the overall security situation the President welcomed US affirmation of commitment to Pakistan’s stability and security adding , “it must be based on mutual respect and trust”, Farhatullah Babar said.
In this context the President expressed reservations over the new screening regime for Pakistani nationals saying that it had generated resentment in the country and called for its review.
About Drone attacks on Pakistani territory the President said it undermined the national consensus against the war on militancy and called for creating a mechanism whereby the Drones were used by Pakistan’s security forces rather than by foreign troops which raised questions of sovereignty.
It was critical that national consensus on war against militancy was not allowed to erode and anything that tended to weaken it was avoided, the President said.
The President said that when forces employed high tech in the war it had no negative fallout. He said if our own security forces possessed drones it would be a more helpful high tech weapon of war than when it was used by foreign forces.
The US Secretary of Defence called on President Zardari in the Presidency here Thursday evening where he also had a dinner with the President.
Security situation in the region, Drone attacks, reimbursement of Coalition Support Fund arrears, fight against militancy, drug trafficking, the new US screening regime and strengthening of Pakistan’s law enforcing agencies were discussed in the meeting.
Robert Gates was accompanied by US Ambassador to Islamabad Anne W. Petterson and senior officials of his delegation. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Secretary General to President Salman Farooqui, Senator Sughra Imam, Farahnaz Ispahani MNA and Secretaries Defence and Foreign Affairs besides other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
Briefing media about the meeting, spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said the President said that the economic cost of the war against terror amounting to US $ 35 billion for the last eight years had gravely impacted on Pakistan’s economy adversely and the amount under CSF had actually been spent by Pakistan that needed to be reimbursed urgently.
Reviewing the overall security situation the President welcomed US affirmation of commitment to Pakistan’s stability and security adding , “it must be based on mutual respect and trust”, Farhatullah Babar said.
In this context the President expressed reservations over the new screening regime for Pakistani nationals saying that it had generated resentment in the country and called for its review.
About Drone attacks on Pakistani territory the President said it undermined the national consensus against the war on militancy and called for creating a mechanism whereby the Drones were used by Pakistan’s security forces rather than by foreign troops which raised questions of sovereignty.
It was critical that national consensus on war against militancy was not allowed to erode and anything that tended to weaken it was avoided, the President said.
The President said that when forces employed high tech in the war it had no negative fallout. He said if our own security forces possessed drones it would be a more helpful high tech weapon of war than when it was used by foreign forces.
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