Operation to last until normalcy: Zardari

Operation to last until normalcy: Zardari

* Kerry says Congress will ‘urgently’ complete aid bill to stabilise Pakistan

WASHINGTON: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday the military operation against the Taliban would last until “normalcy” returned to the troubled areas, AFP reported.

“It is going to carry on until life in Swat comes back to normalcy,” Zardari told reporters at the US Capitol after meeting key senators.

He was speaking after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani urged Pakistan to unite against extremists as air and ground troops pounded Taliban targets in Swat.

Stability: Meanwhile, Senator John Kerry promised on Thursday that the United States Congress would “urgently” complete an aid bill to stabilise Pakistan. He said this after talks with Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Also on Thursday, US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said the two countries and the US would hold a new three-way meeting after Afghanistan’s elections in August.

US Acting Secretary of Defence William Lynn assured President Asif Ali Zardari that Washington would meet Islamabad’s security needs to enable it to defeat militancy and promote peace and security in the region, APP reported.

“US will continue to support Pakistan in fight against insurgency,” he said. afp/app