Washington: Rejecting Pakistani notion that it has launched an anti-Pak campaign, the US on Friday said that the relationship with Pakistan is extremely important and Washington will continue to work towards it.
"We obviously reject that completely," the State department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference when asked about it.
"We believe, and we are trying to make the case to the Pakistani people as well as to Pakistani leaders, that only working together are we going to defeat this threat to both of us," she said. "....and also to make it better known in Pakistan about all of the civilian assistance that we have been giving to the Pakistani government in an effort to strengthen their democracy, strengthen the education system, strengthen the economy, because that is also one of the best deterrents to extremism, when quality of life is being raised for everyone," Nuland argued.
Meanwhile, the White House said that America`s relationship with Pakistan `complicated but important`.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the Obama Administration has also made clear that the US has issues with Pakistan at times and that it is a complicated relationship.
"The President addressed that very clearly and fully yesterday in his press conference," he said. At a news conference on Thursday, Obama had expressed his concern over the links between the Pak intelligence services and the terrorist groups.
But, Carney said, "We have an important relationship with Pakistan. We have had enormous successes through our cooperation with Pakistan."
"The cooperation we have with Pakistan is extremely important in terms of our national security objectives, in terms of protecting Americans, in terms of taking the fight to al Qaeda. And that`s why we continue to work with the Pakistanis and try to build on that cooperation," Carney told reporters at his daily news conference.
PTI