Clinton pledges new start in Pakistan

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a four-day official visit to Pakistan, met with President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday evening.

She arrived in the morning, and pledged a fresh start in relations between the two nations.

According to a press release from the Pakistani President's office, matters related to bilateral cooperation, the fight against militancy and assistance measures were discussed during Wednesday's meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Hillary Clinton.

Just hours after the U.S. Secretary of State arrived in the country, however, a car bomb tore through a crowded market in Northwest Pakistan. At a news conference in Islamabad, Clinton then said that Washington fully supports the country's battle against extremist attacks.

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, said, "While we may disagree from time to time, as friends and partners do, we are bound together by common interests and common values that are stronger than any of our differences."

Clinton acknowledges misunderstandings have dogged U.S.-Pakistan ties, and pledges to refocus the relationship on the "needs of the people," including increased economic assistance, and the development of democratic institutions.

Clinton's visit comes amid widespread Pakistani anger over a recent aid appropriation bill. Despite tripling assistance to 1.5 billion U.S. Dollars per year through 2014, the bill has been bitterly denounced for imposing conditions that critics say violate national sovereignty.

On Thursday, Clinton is expected to visit Lahore to meet with opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.