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WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the United States and Pakistan share interests in fighting terrorism after a panel in Islamabad made demands over the troubled relationship.
Clinton declined to comment in-depth on the panel's recommendations but said that the United States was committed to an “honest, constructive, mutually beneficial relationship with Pakistan.”
"We've been working through these difficulties and challenges. We believe we have shared interests. We believe we have the same enemies," Clinton said a news conference with Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul.
“We believe that it's important to support counter-terrorism against the insurgents who kill and maim tens of thousands of Pakistani people, who send teams across the border to kill and maim people in Afghanistan and to kill and maim our soldiers and others,” Clinton said.
Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday demanded a US apology over Nato air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November, leading Islamabad to close supply lines for US forces into Afghanistan.
Lawmakers also demanded taxes on Nato convoys and an end to drone attacks in which the United States has killed militants in Pakistan's lawless border areas. Pakistan has voiced anger over civilian deaths.
Clinton said that she would not comment on the recommendations until the panel's findings come up for debate before the Pakistani parliament.
