As the US sought facilitation from Pakistan for a ‘meaningful dialogue’ with the Haqqani network on Thursday, Islamabad plainly demanded Washington address its concerns about growing Indian influence in Afghanistan and stop public messaging, which it said was detrimental to relations between the two countries.
In what is being seen as a major shift in US policy vis-à-vis the Haqqani network, allegedly based in North Waziristan, the Obama administration’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman, in his meetings here with Pakistan’s top civilian and military leaders, asked for Islamabad’s assistance to facilitate peace talks with the Haqqanis.
There have been secret contacts between Islamabad and Washington for talks with the Haqqani network on two occasions in the past, and Pakistan obliged the US and helped it reach out to the Haqqani network both times, but this is the first time a senior American diplomat has formally asked Pakistan to help reach out to the influential militant group.
Grossman started his daylong trip to Islamabad with separate meetings with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. He then called on Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and finally went to the Presidency to see President Asif Ali Zardari.
In a related important development, General John Allen, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), also called on General Kayani to discuss bilateral ties and the Afghanistan situation. “He (Grossman) was informed in detail about Pakistan’s concerns regarding increasing influence of India in Afghanistan and especially the recent agreement between New Delhi and Kabul on strategic partnership,” said a Pakistani diplomat privy to discussions in the high-level talks, held for the first time since the eruption of a serious Pakistan-US row over harsh statements from Washington against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), blaming it for exporting terrorism to Afghanistan.
He said Pakistani leaders told Grossman that once Islamabad’s concerns about India in the context of Afghanistan were addressed, Islamabad would facilitate meaningful talks with the Haqqani network. The Pakistani leaders also demanded withdrawal of the US decision to suspend military aid to Pakistan and also the smooth extension of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF).
ZARDARI: In his meeting with the US envoy, President Zardari expressed Pakistan’s displeasure with what he called “verbal assaults” on the part of senior US officials against Islamabad, questioning its commitment in the fight against terrorism. The president said that only helped the cause of terrorists and undermined the bilateral ties between Islamabad and Washington.
According to Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar, the president said: “Pakistan supports all efforts for regional peace, prosperity and connectivity, 0based on existing realities of the region and the relations between the two countries must not be transactional but based on a long-term partnership and resting on the foundations of mutual respect and shared interests.” The president stressed on following the clearly defined, well documented and mutually agreed terms of engagement between the two countries which he said was necessary to avoid operational irritants that hamper the relationship.
“In this context the president said any public messaging that tended to undermine this bedrock of the relationship shrank political space for the democratic government,” Babar quoted the president as saying. The president called for exercising mutual restraints in public pronouncements that adversely impacted the bilateral relationship. He also emphasised the need to develop a cooperative and joint roadmap to overcome the trust deficit between the two countries. He said the enemies of peace would continue to sabotage the peace process but “we should not let the non-state actors hold hostage the governments in the region”.
“Ironically the militants and terrorists gained the most from verbal assaults and finger-pointing at Pakistan or questioning our commitment to fighting the extremists,” the president said, adding that it only damaged the relationship between the two countries and undermined the common objective of defeating extremism and terrorism. The president said slain former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani was a friend of Pakistan and an honest and serious interlocutor and termed his assassination as an attempt to sabotage the peace and reconciliation process.
However, he expressed surprised at the reaction in Kabul in the wake of Rabbani’s assassination. The president said despite negative propaganda against Pakistan, Pakistan was committed to regional peace and had decided to attend the forthcoming trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey in Istanbul next month that was aimed at peace and stability in the region.
GILANI: In his meeting with Grossman, Prime Minister Gilani said the relationship between Pakistan and the US must go beyond coordination on counter-terrorism. According to an official statement, Gilani expressed the resolve of the government and the people of Pakistan to fight extremism and terrorism in their totality.
A separate statement issued here by the US embassy said: “US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman reaffirmed the US commitment to a long-term, enduring partnership with Pakistan and its people in Islamabad today.”
KHAR: At a joint press conference after their meeting earlier at the Foreign Office, Khar and Grossman said Pakistan and the United States agreed to continue their dialogue process and vowed to carry on strategic dialogue mechanism as it was in the interest of both countries.
It only proves Pakistan continue to suffer from a child like mentality. There is nothing anyone can do to prevent Afganistan and INdia to form good relationship. It is Pakistan's own wicked mentality that it fears close relationship between India and Afganistan. Just like Pakistan's relationship with China is meant against India Pakistan think India will use Afganistan against Pakistan. Pakistan't own wickedness is haunting it as it has destroyed Afganistan and killed so many innocent Indians through terrorism.
US will force Pakistan to do what it wants Pakistan to do. Pakistanis can plant as many stories as they want that USA has agreed to this or that the matter of the fact is this that Pakistan is in no position to put up any conditions.
Pakistani news papers are joke and ministers are clowns… haha
It has no right to control other country as if its trying to control Afgh… Similar way as it its getting controlled by china… pakistan is still not in a position to bail itself out of bankrupcy but its tone is filled with arrogance under pretext to blackmail the world of terrorism activity..
This again shows instead of seeing own fault pakistan finger points India for everything it seems internal issues…
You are a blind group of fools . Soon to see the error of that mentality..
With all the kicks and kisses landing on them, I understand how Islamabad feels. It's o.k. for Pakistan Today to provide some comfort through their headlines…
1) If we look at the track record, it is futile to expect long-term good relations between Pakistan & USA.
2) USA has always used Pakistan.
3) They have always found a military dictator to get their job done.
4) This is the first time that there is a political government in Pakistan when they need us.
5) The present political government must stand up firmly. Not that we should be looking for enmity but to fully protect our vital national interests.
6) Our economy has lost close to USD 70 billions. On top of that, more than 35,000 people have lost their lives. The less than 3,000 lost by Americans on 9/11 pales into insignificance.
7) USA must repay all our debts and pay a heavy transit fee for the containers it wants to pass through Pakistan.
8) Last, but not least, USA must be told in clear terms that India has no business to be in Afghanistan.
I give you a rerun of what i said in Ejaz Haider's column. Read:
"Why there is so much mistrust on Pakistan all around the world? Why Pakistan is an increasing liability to everyone (including China)? How did Bangladesh's economy went in an opposite trajectory from Pakistan's in the last 30 years? (if you know what I mean). How is that small a country living its huge security threat from all three sides and still dares to raise border disputes? How did Sri Lanka manage it''s ethnic conflict without being intervened?
The answer probably is that the brass-heads don't get to direct the priorities in those countries. Ayub thought he smarted a deal on SEATO and CENTO. He got it for Pakistan! Zia thought he smarted a deal over Afghanistan. Reagan gave him one which he drank with a cocktail of radical islam. Saudis added wahabi spice in it. Then Musharraf smarted a 9/11 deal and he tried his smart abra-kadabra on it.
So abra-kadabra is what Pakistan got. That abra-kadabra is carried on by current Kayani-Pasha leadership of Pakistan. And there are a large number of enlisted strategic thinkers-cum-editorial-promoters of that in Pakistan. The and/or mosaic becomes a self-serving design.
So abra-kadabra is what Pakistan gets for now. Feel accomplished and happy. God Bless…"
Why can't India be not in Afghanistan? is Afghanistan a province of Pakistan ?
It is astonishing that an Army that has brought disrepute to the country, never won a war and succeeded in losing half its country in 1971, still claims to be the ‘guardian of Pakistan’s territorial and ideological frontiers’. Given its continuing adventurism in relations with India and Afghanistan and its bluff and bluster in dealings with the US and its allies, Pakistan’s Army is leading the country further down the road of extremism, violence and economic stagnation.
tit for tat hahaha
The major issue for both governments are the incoming elections
lolz..! good one..!
Karzai is fooling both – Indians and Americans. Both will be disappointed in the end by wasting money on him and not gaining any target in the end.
It doesn't matter. Let Afghanistan be a happy place. The people in there suffered long and hard. Let's share some of our good fortune with them…
Don’t believe this ! What game is US playing now, they attack and kill a member of Haqqani network & then after a few hours they ask Pakistan to help them in talks with the Haqqqanis ! C’mon Guys ( Zardari & All) stop lying to us !
The decline of US and the emergence of new super power is on the horizon..watch out for the shift in balance
In this whole mess-up every country has its own interest. Main question is: Are we in a dictating position???? Here I quote Sir Muhammad Iqbal: " Khudi ko kr buland itna kay KHUDA bunday say khud poochay kay bta tairi raza kiya hy ". We have to and we must remove all ills and concerns of International Community.
Name of the game is 'kick and kiss'. It's nasty on the receiving end. One won't to deserve it…
Sorry. This comment was posted as a reply to Saamia Nawaz Khan (above).*
The cursor malfunctioned.
why pakistan blame India, why dont pakistan first solve its own internal disputes, ?
Pakistan must preserve National Interests First and our Foreign Policy Should be reviewed every year trrough our National Think Tank.
But in our country.. there is no think.. only Tanks.
Right! And it's 'Brass Tank' actually…
If some one says to you do more just reply NO MORE.
Way to maintain your virginity…
"Pakistani leaders told Grossman that once Islamabad’s concerns about India in the context of Afghanistan were addressed, Islamabad would facilitate meaningful talks with the Haqqani network."
Great—This proves that Pakistan has tie with Haquani group and trying "bate and switch" game that are palying all along for last several decades.
Stop blaming India or others and try to take the responsibility of your own faults.
Pakistan will never live in peace and will never allow near by countries to live in peace.
Pakistan born out of violence, wanted to separate from India, now destroying itself.
paks should be thanking america, they were with u for 60 years from 1951. But u are not trust worlthy, u need whole afghanistan. u were hiding OBL in your military compund, killing american soldiers and supprting haqqanies. Haqqanies too invade your sovernity, but no complaint against them? And u further expect americ to aid more? Be happy that republicians are not in power in america, if they were they would have surely invaded u. Dont say your army can defeat US. If america wishes to defeat u, stoppin the aid is enough. Like u, afghan is a soverign state, it has the right to choose its own ally.
India never sort to violence when her neighbours turned against them. Look myanmar bangladesh, it went through peaceful negotiation, now both countries automatically come closer to india.
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