ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday lashed out at the United States (US) “for putting Pakistan on notice” hours after Vice President Mike Pence’s controversial statement.
The FO commented that the statement was in stark contrast to the recent dialogue with the Trump administration.
The statement issued by the FO said, “Allies do not put each other on notice, and Pence’s scathing remarks are at variance with the extensive conversations we [Islamabad] have had with the US administration.”
The FO stressed the need for the US to create mechanisms aimed at peace and reconciliation and blamed Washington for shifting the blame onto Pakistan for its failed campaign in Afghanistan.
The FO blamed the US for factors responsible for an exponential increase in drug production, expansion of ungoverned spaces, industrial-scale corruption, a breakdown of governance, and letting Daesh gain a foothold in Afghanistan and said that, “Externalising blame should be put on notice.”
Pence’s statements and several other recent statements, indicate US indignation with Islamabad.
The US VP became the most senior Trump administration official to visit Afghanistan after his secret visit to Kabul’s Bagram airbase.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Tehmina Janjua, on Thursday, said that “Islamabad rejects US VP Pence’s ‘rhetorical’ statements and allegations” and demanded the US to address Pakistan’s regional security concerns.
“Islamabad and Washington are in touch regarding the US ‘unliteral action’ statements,” Janjua added briefing a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Pence’s remarks chaired by Nuzhat Sadiq
“How can unilateral action be taken on a single source of information?” she asked.
She further asserted that Pakistan has no terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan and accused India of using Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan.
“Operation Khyber-2 has already cleansed the area of terrorists,” Janjua commented while rejecting Pence’s claim on the presence of terrorists on the Pakistani side of the Pak-Afghan border and asked the Trump administration for actionable intelligence in order to conduct intelligence-based operations.
The secretary also demanded the US to help in addressing the refugee situation and finding terrorists wanted by Pakistan and are hiding away in Afghanistan.