Online News Paper

PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: US Special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke has said that widening the distance from Nawaz Sharif will hamper the interests of US as he is the popular leader in Pakistan and added that it is not the job of United States to tell Pakistan to launch operation in Waziristan as it is up to the Pakistani leadership to decide when and what it wants to do about it.
Talking to reporters on board the plane, before landing at Islamabad Airport, Holbrooke said his meetings with Pakistani leadership would be focused on how to overcome the power shortage in the country.
Holbrooke said that a task force led by Marry Bethman had been set up to find ways to help resolve the issue of electricity shortage in Pakistan…”people of Pakistan are suffering because of power loadshedding and we got to help them,” he added.
He said Pakistan was neglected as compared to Afghanistan after 9/11 incident by the international community and whatever needed was not done in the power sector in Pakistan. “And now, since we have a little breathing space as far as security situation is concerned, it is time for us to focus on other important issues like power crisis,” he added.
“I cannot tell whether the Taliban were destroyed or dispersed as a result of this operation until I go myself over there and talk to the people on ground but one thing was quite obvious that security forces regained Swat and Buner from Taliban which itself was very significant,” he added.
He said that the political situation here had improved significantly, as on March 15 the PML-N was at odds with the government when it held long march. He that Nawaz Sharif had come out with strong statements against Taliban. “Nawaz Sharif is a popular leader and his party is ruling the largest province of Punjab that’s why I believe that distancing from Nawaz will not be in the interest of the US.”