WASHINGTON: Pakistan Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani has said the international community must help Pakistan morally, politically and economically to successfully eradicate terrorism.

He was addressing three different groups of students and faculty members at the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Pakistan, he said, stood at the threshold of a “transformational moment”. This “transformation involves moving from authoritarianism to democracy, from militancy to economic prosperity and from narrowly-defined ideologies to pluralism”.

Haqqani said there was a complete identity of views between the elected civilian leadership led by President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani. “All institutions in Pakistan have now realised that the strength of Pakistan lies in strengthening Pakistan’s constitutional foundations. No individual and no group alone can ensure the security and integrity of Pakistan,” he stated.

In his address to the Yale South Asian Studies Council, he said Pakistan’s elected leadership seeks close cooperation from Afghanistan in ensuring that the Pak-Afghan border becomes secure. “This marks significant progress from the era when the two countries constantly played a blame game instead of working together in ensuring that al-Qaeda and the Taliban no longer pose a threat to Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest of the world.”

He said the Pakistanis continue to believe strongly in the justice of their case on Jammu and Kashmir. “But Pakistan will continue to engage with India so that the relationship between our countries moves from an adversarial one to one of cooperation that benefits both nations economically and, particularly, in the sphere of trade”.

He said the US understood the importance of respecting Pakistan’s sovereignty and the Pakistanis would not allow enemies like al-Qaeda or friends such as the United States to violate Pakistani sovereignty. He said that the vast majority of Pakistanis recognise terrorism as a threat to Pakistan’s existence and also realise that friendship with the US is in Pakistan’s interest.