Bush administration reviewing sanctions regime, assistant secretary says
The Bush administration is looking at its entire Pakistan sanctions regime with a "fresh eye," says Christina Rocca, assistant secretary of state for South Asia.
In a statement to the press delivered during her visit to Islamabad August 2, Rocca acknowledged that "Nuclear-related and democracy sanctions have prevented us from pursuing cooperation with Pakistan as far as would be hoped."
But she said that the President wants "to reevaluate restrictions on assistance programs that could assist Pakistan in critical areas, such as strengthening its democratic institutions, rule of law, education systems, and economic reform."
She emphasized the U.S. desire to see Pakistan quickly resume a democratic, constitutional government. Rocca said that President Musharraf had assured her during her visit that he will respect the Supreme Court's order to hold free and fair elections by October 2002.
Rocca added that the United States "would also like to see political parties allowed to function freely, including the ability to assemble publicly without fear of arrest."
Even in the context of continuing sanctions, there is much good work the United States and Pakistan can accomplish together, Rocca said.
"In the fight against drugs, for example, our cooperation with the Government of Pakistan has been excellent in the areas of poppy crop reduction and law enforcement, to the tune of approximately $4 million last year," she noted.
The United States has allocated about $2.5 million to support primary education in Pakistan and another $2 million to help support democratization through direct work with civil society groups, Rocca said.
Following is the text of the statement:
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STATEMENT TO THE PRESS BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIA CHRISTINA ROCCA (ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN)
Thursday, August 2, 2001
As I near the end of my visit to Pakistan, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality that has been extended to me during my stay.
I would particularly like to thank President Musharraf for sharing his views with me during our meeting on Tuesday. Similarly, I would like to thank the members of General Musharraf s cabinet, and the political and human rights figures I have met during the last week for their frank exchange and insights.
As you know this is my first visit to Pakistan as Assistant Secretary. I am hopeful that my visit -- coming as it does during the Bush Administration's review of our policy options vis-a-vis this vital region -- will serve to shape our thinking about South Asia.
Pakistan has historically played a pivotal role in this part of the world and will continue to do so. There is much that binds Pakistan and the United States together. Our shared concerns about regional stability, the growing Pakistani-American community in the United States, our mutual desire to stamp out the scourge of terrorism and drugs, all urge enhanced cooperation between us.
It is imperative, therefore, that we look for ways to deepen our engagement with Pakistan and to address as a matter of priority those areas of disagreement between us. It is partially for that reason that I have come.
My visit is part of an on-going dialog with the Government of Pakistan.
Your Foreign Minister traveled to Washington last month, and Foreign Secretary Inam-ul-Haq will be in Washington later this month.
In particular, our discussions have focused on sanctions, return to democracy, issues of regional stability, and the crisis in Afghanistan.
Sanctions and Aid to Pakistan
Nuclear-related and democracy sanctions have prevented us from pursuing cooperation with Pakistan as far as would be hoped. The Administration is currently looking at the entire sanctions regime with a fresh eye. We want to reevaluate restrictions on assistance programs that could assist Pakistan in critical areas, such as strengthening its democratic institutions, rule of law, education systems, and economic reform.
I emphasize that our sanctions policy review is still underway, but even in the context of continuing sanctions, there is much good work that we can do together.
In the fight against drugs, for example, our cooperation with the Government of Pakistan has been excellent in the areas of poppy crop reduction and law enforcement, to the tune of approximately $4 million last year.
We also recently obtained an exception to the sanctions to allow us to launch a primary education assistance program. About $2.5 million has thus far been allocated to support primary education in Pakistan.
We will also spend approximately $2 million over the next two years to help support democratization through direct work with civil society groups.
Obstacles to Better Relations
However, obstacles still remain.
Even should nuclear-related sanctions be lifted, Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act remains in place. This provision requires a return to democratic government before U.S. assistance in most areas can resume.
We would like to see Pakistan resume, as soon as possible, a system of democratic, constitutional, government in which civilians elected in free and fair elections are in charge. We would also like to see political parties allowed to function freely, including the ability to assemble publicly without fear of arrest.
President Musharraf has assured me that he will respect the Supreme Court's order to hold free and fair elections by October 2002.
Our concerns about continuing conflict in Afghanistan, the Taliban, and that movement's support of international terrorism still need to be addressed.
None of these issues is insurmountable, and with work and good will I expect we can come to understandings on most of them.
Regional Stability
I would like to congratulate President Musharraf for traveling to Agra to meet with Prime Minister Vajpayee. This was an important topic of conversation in many of my meetings in Delhi as well.
We all want peace in South Asia. We welcome Prime Minister Vajpayee's decision to accept President Musharraf s invitation to return to Pakistan. We sincerely hope that both sides will use these exchanges to heal the rifts between these two great countries.
Afghanistan
As the press has noted, I also looked at Afghanistan issues during my visit.
We are deeply concerned about the plight of the Afghan people brought about by conflict, drought, and economic hardship. We believe that the long-term solution to those ills would be a broad-based, representative government for all Afghans. As you may know, I visited Jalozai camp yesterday near Peshawar and was deeply moved by the stories I heard.
I am thus very pleased to announce that President Bush signed an order authorizing us to provide an additional $6.5 million in refugee assistance for Afghans from our Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund. Of this amount, $2 million is for UNHCR activities in Pakistan, $600,000 will go for ICRC programs in Afghanistan, and $3.9 million will be provided for other humanitarian programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This brings total U. S. Government assistance for the Afghan humanitarian crisis to $132 million this year. This makes us by far the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. Please note that this figure includes about $20 million in assistance to refugees living in Pakistan.
We have also approved $1.5 million in funding for the United Nations Drug Control Program's Short Term Assistance Project to sustain the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan's Nangahar Province. We welcome the Taliban's enforcement of the ban and hope it will be sustained.
I have enjoyed my visit to Pakistan and have learned much.
In closing, let me reiterate my thanks to the people of Pakistan for their warm welcome.
Thank you.
