Geo Pakistan

Pak-US ties, a bad marriage, but divorce unlikely: McCaul

NEW YORK: US Congressmen Michael McCaul has likened Pakistan-US relationship to a bad marriage but ruled out a divorce option in the same breath, Geo News reported. McCaul, a four-term congressman and chairman of a House Homeland Security Committee panel, and House colleagues recently met with President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss prospects for increasing bi-lateral trade between the two countries. He said that he had told Pakistani government that it was imperative for both allies to let no doubts take root on the common turf they stand on. “Both Pakistan and US will have to bring the trust deficit down to zero”, said McCaul. In his statement McCaul reminded that Pakistan shouldn’t forget that US has spent billions of dollars on it since 9/11. Lauding a positive shift in Pakistan-India ties, he said that this development would help Pakistan mobilize more troops to its Western borders. In his viewpoint a boost in mutual trade would prop Pakistan’s economy up rather than American aid. “Increased U.S. trade with Pakistan — rather than stepped up U.S. foreign aid — was the way to overcome frayed relations between the two allies in the war on terror”, he said.