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Pak woman calls US a mother-in-law; leaves Hillary in splits
The often tough talking Hillary Clinton was left in peals of laughter after a Pakistani woman compared the US to a nagging mother-in-law.
"We all know that the whole of Pakistan is facing the brunt of whatever is happening and trying to cooperate with the US, and somehow the US is like a mother-in-law which is just not satisfied with us," said Shamama, who identified herself as working with a women`s group in restive northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.
Her comment not only elicited a huge round of applause from those seated in the town hall here but also from Hillary who answered back in the same wit.
Hillary, whose daughter Chelsea is married to an investment banker, said she could personally relate to the woman`s perspective because she too was a mother-in-law. "I think that`s a great analogy I have never heard before," said Hillary adding "Now that I am a mother-in-law, I totally understand what you`re saying and hope to do better privately and publicly."
She said "I personally believe this relationship is critical, important to us both, and therefore we cannot give it up," and added, "Once a mother-in-law always a mother-in-law, but perhaps mothers-in-law can learn new ways also." Hillary, who was at the town hall for a meeting, is on two-day visit to Pakistan, alongside CIA chief David Petraeus and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Martin Dempsey in an attempt to improve frayed relationship and nudge the Pakistanis to act against the Haqqani network.
"We are trying to please you, and every time you come and visit us you have a new idea and tell us, You are not doing enough and need to work harder?" said Shamama.
Hillary said she had always tried to be a "good and honest friend" of Pakistan.
She acknowledged that there "has been and is a trust deficit" between Pakistan and the US that both sides were trying to overcome.
"We think it goes in both directions, we don’t think it’s just one or the other. Both sides have to work harder to understand the needs, interests and concerns of the other side," she said.
Hillary made it clear that the time had come for the people of Pakistan to make some "hard decisions".
She said it was "unbelievable" that only two million out of Pakistan’s population of 180 million paid income tax.
If everyone in society did not contribute resources, there would not be adequate funding for key sectors like power and education, she said.
PTI