Pakistan on Wednesday warned the US against any unilateral military action against the Haqqani Network, as it again rejected the US demand for a military operation in North Waziristan Agency despite immense American pressure.
Responding to US media reports that suggested a clear ultimatum given to Pakistan for military operation in North Waziristan, Pakistan’s senior military and civilian officials said no ultimatum had been given to the country, but the US officials were making strong demands for an operation in North Waziristan to dismantle the influential militant group, the Haqqani Network, allegedly based in the tribal agency.
They said that without giving any ultimatum, the US officials had been saying that they could resort to an action of their own against the Haqqanis.
“The Obama administration has sharply warned Pakistan that it must cut ties with a leading Taliban group based in the tribal region along the Afghan border and help eliminate its leaders, according to officials from both countries,” leading US newspaper, The Washington Post, said in a report on Wednesday.“In what amounts to an ultimatum, administration officials have indicated that the United States will act unilaterally if Pakistan does not comply,” The Post said. It said, “The message, delivered in high-level meetings and public statements over the past several days, reflects the belief of a growing number of senior administration officials that a years-long strategy of using persuasion and military assistance to influence Pakistani behaviour has been ineffective.” US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that “we are going to take whatever steps are necessary to protect our forces” in Afghanistan from attacks by the Haqqani network, which has had a long relationship with Pakistan’s intelligence service.
Admiral Mike Mullen, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who met Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani in Spain on Friday, told reporters that the “proxy connection” between Pakistani intelligence and the Haqqani network was the focus of those discussions. According to a Pakistani security official, new CIA Director David H Petraeus also raised the issue of North Waziristan operation with ISI chief Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who is currently on an unannounced visit to the US. “ISI chief’s reply in response to demand for North Waziristan operation was that as of now this operation is not possible because of Pakistan’s constraints with its army engaged in several anti-terrorism operations in various tribal regions,” the official said. He said, “Pakistan has been telling the US that any operation in North Waziristan will be carried out when circumstances are favourable. The Pakistani Army is overstretched at the moment from South Waziristan up till Bajaur and Swat, and we don’t have the resources to open another major front,” the official said. An official at the Foreign Ministry said demands were being made for North Waziristan operation, but saying that any ultimatum had been given for the purpose by the US would be wrong. He rejected the impression given by the US media that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, in her recent meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New York, made any commitment about action against the Haqqani Network.“The foreign minister spoke about Pakistan’s responsibility towards counter-terrorism operations and there was no specific mention of the Haqqani Network by her during the meeting with Clinton,” he said.
No means no: Pakistan tells US on Haqqanis
