10. Pakistan-U.S. Relations
Pakistan-United States diplomacy occurred on several fronts.
Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., Maleeha Lodhi, met a team of U.S.
officials headed by U.S. Under-secretary of State Thomas Pickering.
On the following day, Ambassador Lodhi issued a statement condemning
the terrorist actions of the hijackers.
"Maleeha holds talks
with US officials"
Washington stated that, although the entities list of Indian
companies to be exempted from post-Pokhran sanctions has been pared,
the Clinton administration has no plans to change the entities list
for Pakistan. John Holum, Undersecretary for Arms Control and
Security, stated that Pakistan and India would never be accepted as
nuclear weapons states under the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT).
"Exemption from N-sanctions: US
may not release list of Pakistan firms"
"Pakistan, India not N-weapon
states: US"
Pakistan hosted U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, chairman of the U.S.
foreign relations sub-committee on near-eastern and South Asian
affairs. Brownback supported the basic U.S. position: the U.S.
should and will develop its relationships with Pakistan and India on
individual bases. He also met with Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar and
several opposition party leaders, and pledged his support for
restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
"U.S. To Seek Ties With
Pakistan, India On Individual Merits"
"U.S.
Senator for separate ties with India, Pak."
"'Positive' talks with Sattar :
Brownback"
"Brownback meet PML, PPP, MQM
leaders"
Pakistan also hosted a four-senator delegation including Thomas
Dasche, Christopher Dodd, Harry Reid, and Daniel Akaka. The Dasche
delegation pressed the government for a return to democracy, met
with Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf--who promised to work with the
United States toward global peace--and received a pro-CTBT letter
from Benazir Bhutto.
"Four US senators arrive"
"Benazir seeks US team's help on
democracy"
"Pakistan, US to work for global
peace: CE"
The Clinton Administration announced plans to send two officials to
Pakistan, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Karl
Indurfurth, and Michael Sheehan, the Coordinator on Counter-
Terrorism.
"Inderfurth
to visit Pakistan"
"U.S.
likely to press Pak. on terrorism"
In a Friday Times article, Ejaz Haider explains why US policy in
South Asia may be shifting away from Pakistan to India and how
Pakistan's self-imposed isolationist policies may defeat its
purposes by strengthening such tendencies.
"U.S. policy shift in South
Asia" Ejaz Haider