London: President Asif Ali Zardari has rejected the US strategy of linking its policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to end the Taliban insurgency and bring stability to the region, saying that the two different countries cannot be "lumped" together for any reason.
"Afghanistan and Pakistan are distinctly different countries and cannot be lumped together for any reason," Zardari, who completed one year in office on Wednesday, told 'The Financial Times'.
US President Barack Obama has appointed Richard Holbroke, a senior diplomat who helped end the Bosnian war, as his special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in a move intended to address the two states as a single arena of conflict.
Zardari's comments reflect Pakistan's unwillingness to be aligned in a joint policy framework with neighbouring Afghanistan, an approach referred to as 'AfPak'.
The Pakistani leader and his senior officials draw a distinction between Pakistan with functioning institutions, diversified economy and a powerful national army, and Afghanistan, a state shattered by decades of conflict and ethnic divisions.
Zardari said Holbrooke had brought a "unique focus on relations with Pakistan" and acknowledged the emphasis that Obama had put on Pakistan's economic and energy needs.
Seeking financial assistance, Zardari said, "Pakistan does not have the luxury of time. Given the severity of internal security challenge the country is facing, it is critical that
the economy is provided a strong stimulus as quickly as possible so that the maximum number of jobs are created in the shortest time."
He said, "If (international aid flows) are delayed beyond the next few months, the country will be forced to cut development spending as well as the provision of critical social services. You can then imagine how big a setback that could be for the global war on terror."
The UN estimated that more than two-thirds of the 2.7 million people displaced by the Army operations against the Taliban in Pakistan's restive northwest had returned home.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, September 11, 2009, 19:01