WITH several important topics on the agenda but little prospect of major breakthroughs on the Pressler Amendment or Kashmir, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who visits the United States on Wednesday, hopes her personal reputation as a pro-Western liberal will help restore Pakistan's image as a stable, moderate Islamic democracy. She also hopes her eight-day trip will convince Pakistanis she can deliver cordial relations with the US without sacrificing Pakistan's sovereignty. Ms Bhutto will try to relax the Pressler Amendment military sanctions imposed by the US. But she does not expect to secure their removal and her Government is doing its best to lower expectations for any breakthrough. She will also try to promote Pakistan to US businesses as a trading partner and investment location. She will meet the heads of US energy, financial services and transportation firms, whose major question will be whether Karachi - Pakistan's largest city and commercial capital - will continue to be a viable place for foreign investors and shippers to do business. Almost 1500 Pakistanis have been killed since early 1994 in ethnic and sectarian violence in Karachi. Ms Bhutto will argue Pakistan's case on the disputed territory of Kashmir and will attempt to secure American co-operation on matters of mutual concern, such as terrorism and drugs. She recently underscored what she sees as the compatibility of her own political interests with those of the US when she told how suspected terrorist Ramzi Yousef had tried to assassinate her in 1993. Yousef is being held in America accused of masterminding the bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York. He is also accused of plotting to kill the Pope in the Philippines. Ms Bhutto's political strength, her good relationship with the West, is also her weakness. She is in danger of being seen as too friendly with the US - and too secular and liberal; too prepared to compromise Pakistan's national interests.