Zardari told US “we are here because of you” after winning elections

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari had thanked the United States government for its support of credible parliamentary elections, which brought his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to power in September 2008, according to some classified US diplomatic cables released by whistleblower website Wikileaks.

In a cable about a meeting of US Representatives, Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz, with Zardari in May 2008, then US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, revealed that Zardari had thanked the US and said: “We are here because of you.”Zardari thanked the Codel for USG support of credible national elections. As he has previously, he committed Pakistan to the war on terror, insisting this was Pakistan’s fight,” the Dawn quoted the cable, as saying.

“He argued more needed to be done by the U.S. and international community to promote economic development in the frontier. Building on that point, Zardari suggested a new blend of USG assistance, increasing aid to “civilian forces” like the police and promoting civilian engagement,” it added.

Zardari also noted that his late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, had maintained close relations with many members of US Congress.

He had also encouraged more Codel visits to Pakistan to improve mutual understanding. (ANI)