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Pakistan must return to democracy: US

Pakistan's military regime might again be a close ally of the United States, but Washington had not changed its mind about the need for democracy in Islamabad, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in an interview to be published on Monday.

The plain-speaking diplomat told The Hindu newspaper that the US would never return to the Cold War era of pursuing an "even-handed" relationship with India and Pakistan when in reality Washington was pro-Islamabad.

He also made it clear that despite the new camaraderie with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the US had no desire of changing the military balance in south Asia that now favoured India.

"When we used to say in the past that US was even-handed in south Asia, we were trying to kid people, fool people," Armitage, who last visited India in May, said.

"First of all it was the relationship that India had with the then Soviet Union. Later it was the relationship regarding the Afghan mujahideen fighting against the Soviet occupation. Our relationship with Pakistan was built against something -- against the Indian relationship with the Soviet Union and against the Soviet occupation. This time we have to try and develop a relationship about Pakistan. That is the difference."

Armitage said: "We believe it is possible not to play one relationship off another and try to have different but good relationship with both countries. Pakistan lacks many of the things India has -- multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy. The sooner Pakistan gets back on the democratic path, the better."

Armitage also sought to deny that the US appeared to be desperately searching for "moderates" in Afghanistan's ruling Taleban regime to cobble together a new government in Kabul. In the process, he also outlined Washington's aims in the wake of its military strikes on Afghanistan.

"You in the media have been writing about our search for moderates in Iran for a long time! Our goals in Afghanistan are the following: First of all it is the destruction of the Al Qaeda. Second, the elimination of the Taleban leadership. And third is to gather intelligence which we can use outside Afghanistan.

"Clearly the future government in Afghanistan, if it is to be successful, has to be broad-based and representative of all Afghans -- Tajik, Uzbek, Hazara, and Pashtoon. It cannot be dominated by one."

Asked about Pakistan's desire for a dominant role in a post-Taleban Afghanistan, Armitage said not only Pakistan but also Iran and other neighbours of Afghanistan would like to have a larger say.

"It does not mean that Pakistan or Iran dominate the discussion. They have a right to have a view and we have to take it into consideration. It does not mean we have to buy it."

Indo-Asian News Service

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