Little change in Pak's 'poor' perception of America despite billions in aid: US official

Washington, Mar.18 : The United States may have offered Pakistan billions of dollars as humanitarian and military aid, but American officials believe that there has been very little change in the way Islamabad sees Washington.

Despite the Obama Administration pushing hard to tone down the anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, the massive trust deficit between the two countries still exists, US officials said.

Testifying before a Congressional committee, President Obama's Special Envoy for
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke's deputy Daniel Feldman said majority of Pakistanis see US overtures as a tool to fulfil its own regional agendas.

"They (Pakistanis) feel it as a very self-interested relationship.The perception of Americans is not a positive one," The Nation quoted Feldman, as saying.

"They don''t believe that we are interested in a longer-term relationship and that''s why so much of our work has been to emphasise that this is a long-term relationship, that it is based on a civilian relationship as well as a security one," Feldman added.

He also pointed out that bridging the mistrust was the prime agenda on Secretary of States Hillary Clinton's recent visit to Islamabad, but the tour has not seen any substantial change in Pakistan's perception regarding the US.