Voicing Pakistan’s concerns on continuing US drone attacks in the tribal areas, Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday asked Washington to adopt a common counterterrorism strategy with Islamabad in pursuit of common goals. Malik was speaking to the media after meeting Marc Grossman, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The interior minister, during his two day visit, is also scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and FBI Director Robert Mueller and discuss counterterrorism cooperation in a working group meeting with the US officials.
“We have a common enemy and we must have a common strategy to fight this enemy —- Pakistan is committed with the international community in this fight -and we will hit them (terrorists) hard,” the Interior Minister said standing alongside Grossman. He said it would be good if the two countries had a common strategy on drones but did not explain his comment. Malik noted although both sides are fighting a common enemy there are reservations on the two sides as well. “Our side has conveyed our concerns regarding drone attacks —- the people of Pakistan have been voicing this and we hope that this voice of the people of Pakistan will be heard,” Rehman Malik said.
Grossman, who is US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Malik also discussed the issue of combating improvised explosives devices, which have killed soldiers on both sides. Islamabad, the interior minister said, is pursuing a national counter-IED strategy to curb the cross-border movement of material – ammonium nitrade, which is also used in fertilizers – and that terrorists use in the explosive devices.
Pakistan, he said, has succeeded considerably on containing the movement of the material.
“We have taken every possible measure —- we are an agrarian country, and fertilizers are important…. What we have done we have regulated the movement of fertilizers —- we have also strengthened the (relevant) Punishment Act —- so administrative and all other steps are being taken.”
For his part, Grossman recognized the sacrifices Pakistan has made in fighting terror. “Americans recognize who are victims of terrorism —-the Americans are victims but so many Pakistanis have lost their lives, so many have given their lives fighting terrorism – so this issue of counterterrorism is very important between the United States and Pakistan, “ Grossman said. On the issue of a planned anti-drone march to tribal areas in Pakistan, —- being spearheaded by PTI chief Imran, which has also drawn American CODEPINK peace actiivists’ participation -Grossman said the US diplomats in Islamabad have informed the American citizens about travel advisory in place for the tribal areas. Malik, speaking on the subject, said the provincial government has the prerogative on deciding on the planned protest march as it has to maintain the law and order.
Pakistan urges US for common strategy on counter terrorism
