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Islamabad, Mar 25(ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has called for overcoming all difficulties that are souring the country’s bilateral ties with the United States.

“It is time for the two countries to take stock of the existing situation and focus on addressing all issues which contribute towards creating misunderstandings and mistrust between the people of the two countries,” the Dawn quoted Zardari as having told a US Congressional delegation led by House Armed Services Committee Member Rob Wittman, which called on the president at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

Zardari’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that matters relating to US-Pak bilateral relations, the ongoing war against terrorism, drone attacks and energy requirements of Pakistan were discussed during the meeting.

Referring to the contoversial drone attacks, Zardari said that all actions that created mistrust needed to be reviewed because they adversely affected cooperation in the war on terror.

Although there was a general acceptability of drone attacks in the country as an effective way for eliminating militants, last week’s strike in North Waziristan on a tribal jirga revived the country’s opposition to such strikes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Zardari reminded the US delegation of the sacrifices rendered by Pakistani people and military in the war on terror, and said that these sacrifices needed to be respected.

“Our people have been paying the heaviest price in the war against militants both in terms of human as well as material losses,” he said.

“The only way to mitigate their sufferings and to meet challenges of the militancy is to provide them, especially the affected people of worst-hit areas, new vistas of opportunities including economic opportunities,” he added.

The government has been asking the West to provide preferential trade and market access for restoring Pakistan’s economy, which has been badly hit by the war on terror, and for improving socio-economic conditions in the conflict-ridden areas of the country.

In this context, the delegation was asked to help Pakistan get enhanced market access for its products in the US, and expedite the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) legislation. (ANI)