US says Pak situation 'fragile' but sees no power vacuum
The US has described the situation in Pakistan as "fragile" but rejected suggestions that ouster of Pervez Musharraf would lead to a power vacuum.
By PTI |
WASHINGTON: The US has described the situation in Pakistan as "fragile" but rejected suggestions that ouster of Pervez Musharraf would lead to a power vacuum, a view articulated recently by India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed faith in the elected government, particularly with regard to fight against terrorism, and said the US would "do everything we can to strengthen" it.
"Obviously, it's a fragile situation in Pakistan because it's a new civilian government for the first time in a long time in Pakistan, since 1999, but it is an elected government. I think it has fabulous support. And that's a lot to build on," Rice told reporters.
She was responding when asked if the power vacuum following Musharraf's resignation means a slow descent into chaos in Pakistan and if Washington is concerned about it.
Asked if she believed there was no "real" leadership in Pakistan at the moment, Rice said, "I don't subscribe to the notion that there's no leadership in Pakistan. There's a democratically-elected prime minister. There's a government that came into being as a coalition and it's had its difficulties internally".
Her remarks came a week after Narayanan told a newspaper in Singapore that Musharraf's exit may leave a "big vacuum" that would give freedom to radical extremist elements to "do what they like" in India.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed faith in the elected government, particularly with regard to fight against terrorism, and said the US would "do everything we can to strengthen" it.
"Obviously, it's a fragile situation in Pakistan because it's a new civilian government for the first time in a long time in Pakistan, since 1999, but it is an elected government. I think it has fabulous support. And that's a lot to build on," Rice told reporters.
She was responding when asked if the power vacuum following Musharraf's resignation means a slow descent into chaos in Pakistan and if Washington is concerned about it.
Asked if she believed there was no "real" leadership in Pakistan at the moment, Rice said, "I don't subscribe to the notion that there's no leadership in Pakistan. There's a democratically-elected prime minister. There's a government that came into being as a coalition and it's had its difficulties internally".
Her remarks came a week after Narayanan told a newspaper in Singapore that Musharraf's exit may leave a "big vacuum" that would give freedom to radical extremist elements to "do what they like" in India.
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