Do the US want an independent Balochistan or just keeping their options open?
http://www.topaak.com/topaak2003/topaakmain.htm
Nawaz, Benazir’s return an internal issue, says Boucher
** US wants a free, democratic Pakistan
- Boucher says US watching Balochistan crisis, implies BLA cannot be called a ‘terrorist’ outfit*
ISLAMABAD: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said on Thursday that the allowing of Nawaz Sharif and Benzair Bhutto to return to Pakistan to contest the 2007 general elections was of mutual concern to the country’s political parties and the government.
In an interview with a private Pakistani television channel, Boucher linked their return to politics with the US vision of a free, modern and democratic Pakistan. He also confirmed having met the country’s chief election commissioner to assess the extent of Pakistan’s democratic process.
Balochistan: Boucher said that the US was closely watching the unfolding situation in Balochistan, adding that much evidence was needed before the Bloch Liberation Army could be termed a terrorist organisation.
AQ Khan: The US envoy said that although Pakistan had cooperated with Washington on the black market nuclear proliferation ring run by a scientist, he hoped that Islamabad would share more information on Dr Qadeer Khan with the US.
Cartoons: Boucher stressed that international institutions did not exist to enact legislation to prevent the publication of sacrilegious cartoons. However, he said, while the US supported freedom of expression, it remained essential that all faiths be respected.
War on terror: He reiterated that no other county had arrested as many terrorists as Pakistan. He said Qaeda and other terrorist outfits wanted to destabilise Pakistan. He described the war on terror as “Pakistan’s own war”, adding that the US was helping Islamabad against extremism. He denied that US forces were operating on Pakistani territory, saying that the US military was active only in Afghanistan.
He said that US action in Kunar had yielded no information about Osama Bin Laden or other leading terrorist figures. However, he said, the war on terror would not be won with the capture of a single individual. Boucher waved off criticisms that the US was waging a military war against the Muslim world, saying that such intervention had been “aimed at improving the quality of people’s lives”. He stressed the US had helped Muslims in Kuwait and Bosnia. He noted the US had provided $13 million for Pakistan’s earthquake victims.
US-India nuclear deal: Boucher dismissed claims that the recent US-India civilian would disturb South Asia’s regional balance of power, repeating that the deal was civilian- not military-based.
Kashmir: He said that the US welcomed the progress undertaken by both Pakistan and India in resolving the dispute in accordance with the Composite Dialogue process. He stressed that the US role remained that of an “interested friend rather than participant”. Online