Zardari asks U.S. to provide drone technology

President Asif Ali Zardari asked the US to give drones technology to Pakistan for boosting its indigenous capacity to eliminate the militants from its soil. The President said this while talking to General (R) James Jones US National Security Advisor who called on him in the Presidency today. The US Ambassador in Islamabad Ms Anne W.Patterson and senior officers of the National Security Agency of the US were also present on the occasion. The President also thanked the US administration for its efforts in the adoption of the Kerry Lugar Bill to provide 1.5 billion dollars of annual assistance to Pakistan over a period of 5 years. The President said that Pakistan needed much more assistance to rehabilitate the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and embark upon a massive socio economic development program of the area to banish poverty and thereby to the forces of militancy. He said he was looking forward to the materialization soon of the building of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) to help build the underdeveloped areas economically and provide jobs to the people. He also asked for international assistance to Pakistan in meeting its energy challenges.