In wake of the strain in diplomatic relations between Pakistan and United States of America (USA) following the strong-worded speech by US President Donald Trump, the federal government has decided to hold envoys’ conference to review the country’s foreign policy.
A well-placed source in the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs told Pakistan Today that the envoy’s conference likely to be held from September 5-7 to be chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Khwaja Asif. The source said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was likely to chair the conference on the final day of the moot.
“There would be briefings by various diplomats and other officials from related departments/ministries. The review is likely to be completed by September 7 but the dates have not been finalised yet,” the source said. Asked when the prime minister was likely to visit US, the official said that the prime minister is likely to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in the third week of September.
The official added that Khwaja Asif was planning to visit China and other friendly states after Eid holidays. “Pakistan’s ambassadors in around 15 important countries would be attending the envoy’s conference while the government officials and diplomats would also attend,” the official said.
The official added that among the possible attendees would be the country’s envoys in US, China, India, Russia, Turkey and some western countries. The official brushed aside the notion of a panic in the government circles following the US policy announcement on South Asia, saying that the envoys’ conference was a permanent feature which also was held last year in August.
“Don’t get strayed with the timing of the US policy review. It’s a permanent feature and we do it almost every year in August,” the official asserted. Asked what led to the widening gulf between Pakistan and US, another official in the ministry said the misunderstandings grew with the US assertion to help settle Afghanistan per their plan.
The official said that it was wrong to claim that Pakistan took the US policy review as a shocker, saying we knew it was coming. “We knew how things were developing in Washington DC and this is why we have been engaging the US officials at different levels to convey Pakistan’s concerns and viewpoints,” the source said.
The source added that the US had taken critical decisions without consulting Pakistan which was unfair on their part as Islamabad kept Washington in the loop.
US WANTS PAK ARMY ACTION INSIDE AFGHANISTAN
The official said that following the US policy review, Pakistan has decided to engage the US but not for the time being. “There is anger across the country following the US review. Emotions are running high among the public and the parliament. The time is not ripe for immediate engagement with US,” the official said.
Asked to elaborate further, the official said that US was facing serious heat in Afghanistan as Taliban have been getting stronger and stronger in the war-torn country.
“Now US wants a quick fix to Afghan problem which is nowhere in sight. For this, Washington is putting pressure on Islamabad. Perhaps, they want Pakistan to conduct military action along bordering areas inside Afghanistan. This is not possible as Pakistan military respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty. Our forces are already overstretched,” the official added.
The official said that the US administration wanted Pakistan to conduct a task which its own army failed to do in Afghanistan. “They want to drag Pakistani forces into Afghanistan which is not appropriate at all. US could have settled Afghanistan soon after 2001 when Taliban were on the run but rather than settling Afghan mess, the US preferred to move into Iraq leaving behind unfinished business in Afghanistan. This allowed Taliban to regroup and resurge. Now US wants Pakistan to clean the mess,” the official added.
NO CHANGE IN PAKISTAN’S AFGHAN POLICY
The official said reconciliation was the best bet one can go for in Afghanistan and blaming Pakistan would not serve the purpose. “Pakistan would stand firm against US pressure. There would be no change in Pakistan’s Afghan policy. We believe that political process is the best option in Afghanistan and Afghans have to settle the mess they are facing,” the official added.
The official said that today, all Afghanistan players were not on the same page and even strong differences among the Afghan unity government had made it difficult to settle Afghanistan.
The official added that talking about Indian role in Afghanistan was like antagonising Pakistan more as India has no influence on ground forces in Afghanistan.
“Moreover, India can’t be given the role of net security provider in the region due to its conflictual relationship with all its neighbours. Pakistan’s view is supported by all important regional players,” he concluded.
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