ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday reiterated that Pakistan had several reservations over America’s Afghan policy, including India’s growing role in Afghanistan, which should be addressed.
Addressing the media after the fourth round of Track-II dialogue between Pakistan and the US, he urged the US to limit Indian influence in Afghanistan and lamented that holding Pakistan responsible for America’s failures in the war-torn country was uncalled for.
The minister said that while there was a trust deficit between Pakistan and the United States, affecting the bilateral ties, the two countries are willing to bridge this trust deficit, said. He conceded there was a difference of opinion between the two countries over the Afghan conflict. He said all stakeholders wanted peace in the region. Afghanistan faced enormous challenges, including that of rooting out corruption, he said, and added that drug trade and other issues had challenged the Afghan government’s writ.
The minister said Pakistan had rendered remarkable sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and eliminated terrorist sanctuaries from its territory. It was the top priority of the government to ensure safety and security of the people of Pakistan, he added. “If America passes on information about presence of any militants in Pakistan, the country’s armed forces will act against them,” he said. he said there were elements who wanted the Afghan war to continue for their benefit.
Earlier, addressing the 4th Round of US-Pakistan Bilateral Dialogue held in Islamabad on Monday with the title ‘Convergence amid Divergence: Identifying Pathways to Cooperation in a Challenging Environment’, the minister said that Pakistan’s effective counter-terrorism efforts had dismantled the terrorist networks.
“With self defence and self-interest as our first priority, we are fully committed to protecting the sovereignty of our motherland,” he said, adding, “We will also not allow our soil to be used against any other country.”
Asif said that in the era of challenging and complex international relations, states should focus on long-term partnerships and cooperation.
He said that with peace and stability in Afghanistan as our ultimate goal, “we have been and are ready to extend every possible cooperation to achieve that end”.
The foreign minister said Pakistan had also reached out to other regional countries and regional fora like SAARC in its efforts for peace in Afghanistan.
Asif said that intelligence sharing was imperative for improving border management with Afghanistan. He emphasised that SAARC should be activated and steps taken for promotion of regional trade, as the region had long been suffering due to instability in Afghanistan.
The minister said it was unfair to blame Pakistan for whatever ails Afghanistan had toady, as Pakistan “has eliminated terrorism from its soil after great sacrifices and now there are no terrorist safe havens here”.
Published in Daily Times, November 7th 2017.
