Ackerman apprehensive about Pak

Ackerman apprehensive about Pak
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

ISLAMABAD, MARCH 25: A US Congressman travelling to Islamabad with President Bill Clinton warned of the danger of Pakistan becoming a "defaulted, renegade state."

Gary Ackerman, chairman of the 115-member Congressional caucus on India and Indian-Americans, said on Saturday that Clinton would press Pakistan's military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf on terrorism and the Taliban militia, who rule most of Afghanistan.

"It is extremely important that people understand that you don't want to lose Pakistan completely... and it become a totally defaulted, renegade state," Ackerman told reporters on the plane.

Pakistan's economy is in poor condition. The country came close to bankruptcy last year and was saved only when the international community agreed to reschedule part of its massive 38 billion dollars in foreign debt.

"If you have a failed state and it comes under the control of bin Laden or whoever happens to come through, then you have a catastrophe... It is not out of the question," Ackerman said.

Osama bin Laden, a dissident Saudi billionaire, is wanted by the US for masterminding the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa in 1998. He is living in Afghanistan, but the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban militia refuses to hand him over to the Americans, saying that would breach their traditional codes of honour.