July 03, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 28, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 2: United States on Wednesday urged Pakistani leaders to focus on curbing militancy and control rising food prices and power cuts instead of “wasting energy” over President Pervez Musharraf’s political future.

“Frankly, President Musharraf is not the issue right now. This is not the problem that Pakistan faces right now,” US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told a press briefing at the end of his second trip to Pakistan this year. During the visit, he met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, President Musharraf, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and other officials.

“Problems the Pakistani people face are dangers of bombings, suicide bombers and rising food prices. There are energy difficulties, and loadshedding is increasing,” he said.

Mr Boucher said he had told Pakistani leaders that Washington wanted to work with Islamabad on issues of public importance like people’s safety and security and the issues of food and energy.

He urged the government to tackle these problems with a greater commitment. “While we work with you, we hope you, too, focus on these issues.”

Stressing the need for cooperation among coalition partners, Mr Boucher said: “As politics come together and as people come together, it would provide a sound basis for dealing with these problems.”

Although the US official did not explain Washington’s views on the issue of judges’ reinstatement, he reiterated the US commitment for an independent judiciary. “… But how this goal is achieved is something for Pakistani leaders to decide.”

He reminded the government that Al Qaeda remained ‘a grave threat’ to world peace, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, and said that the “terrorist organisation was getting support” from Pakistan’s tribal regions where, according to him, militants retained significant operational capability.

Mr Boucher said the problem could be effectively tackled by expanding the government’s authority to border areas, which would stabilise the region. “And this extension of (the government’s) writ to the borders has to be for both Afghanistan and Pakistan so that the militants could be squeezed.”

The US official welcomed the government’s operation against militants in Peshawar’s suburbs and said he believed that the operation attested to the problem’s seriousness.

Praising Prime Minister Gilani’s statement on how to tackle militancy, he said it was a step forward and defined a clear policy.

He supported Pakistan’s strategy of holding peace talks with local tribes, but said the US remained firmly opposed to any discussion with hardcore militants like Baitullah Mehsud.

“We don’t support concessions to militants like Mehsud. We don’t support releasing terrorists … so that they can strike again.”

About Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s threat to attack militant bases in Pakistani areas, Mr Boucher said Washington wanted Afghan, Nato and coalition forces to tackle militants in Afghanistan, and Pakistani troops should act on their side of the border.

Referring to a strike on Pakistani military post in the Mohmand Agency, he said it was “a very regrettable incident”, but it reminded about the importance of cross-border cooperation.

AGREEMENT: Pakistan and the US have agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level bilateral contacts. An agreement was reached at a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Mr Boucher.

Earlier, Mr Boucher said that more US officials would visit Pakistan in the coming months and also hinted that Pakistan’s assistance would be increased.

During the meeting with President Musharraf, Mr Boucher is learnt to have called for enhancing cooperation in economy, education, energy and science and technology.