Pakistan needs a free trade agreement with the United States to help fight poverty that fuels extremism, a top Pakistani official said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Pakistan President Pervez Musharaff "feels very strongly the very strong political ties between Pakistan and the United States should also include economic ties," Pakistan Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told reporters before a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman. "Musharaff feels that in order to remove poverty, which is essential for curbing extremism in that part of the world, Pakistan needs market access and the United States being one of the largest trading partners should give that access to Pakistan," Khan said in Washington. Pakistan, a close military ally of the United States, is one of several countries seeking a free trade deal with the United States. Musharaff asked U.S. President George W. Bush to begin free trade talks at a New York meeting in September, repeating a request he first made in 2004, Khan said. Pakistan already is negotiating a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, which could be a stepping stone to a free trade deal. The two countries should set a deadline for finishing those talks next year, Khan said.
