Obama admin closely working with Congress, says Hunt

LAHORE - The Principal Officer US Consulate Bryan D Hunt on Monday said that the Obama Administration was closely working with Congress for an early enactment of legislation on Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) that would benefit Pakistans business community in a big way.
The US Principal Officer was speaking at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI President Mian Muzaffar Ali and a number of former Presidents including Iftikhar Ali Malik, Mian Misbahur Rehman and Mohammad Ali Mian, former Senior Vice Presidents Abdul Basit, Sohail Lashari and former Vice President Aftab Ahmad Vohra also spoke on the occasion.
The US Principal Officer said that draft legislation of ROZs has been reintroduced in the US Congress and hopefully it would be passed in coming months as the Obama Administration had already endorsed the programme. He, however, ruled out any additional trade preferences for any country in near future owing to difficult economic scenario in the United States.
Over water issue between Pakistan and India, Bryan D Hunt said that if Pakistan considers that India is violating Indus Basin Treaty, it could go for international arbitration. He urged the business community and civil society in both India and Pakistan to put pressure on their respective governments for the early solution of all political issues including Kashmir.
I am convinced that once the political issues like Kashmir are resolved, the other issues including water and trade would also be solved.
On assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the US Principal Officer said that the United States would continue to assist Pakistan government till the final settlement of the issue.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Mian Muzaffar Ali said that the United States must ensure a duty free access to Pakistani products in the US markets. This, certainly, would help give considerable boost to our bilateral relations. The LCCI is determined to play its role for the same.