The Sectary General of Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR), a Think Tank body comprising of large number of former diplomats, retired generals, and prominent Businessmen and top Academicians representing various segments of the Pakistan society, issued a statement of its Board of Governors Meeting reviewing Donald Trump's Afghanistan policy announced last week. It also studied government's response after the high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister with military and political leaders on board.
The Council after due deliberation and taking into account the role of Pakistan in the prolonged war by the US and its Allies in Afghanistan stood by the statement issued by the government recounting Pakistan's sacrifices made in the war and reiterating its desire to move towards a peace process through dialogue for a political settlement.
The Council endorses Pakistan's countering the US's criticism by reminding the US of Pakistan's role in the protracted conflict and asking that the US work with Pakistan on issues like elimination of safe havens inside Afghanistan, return of millions of Afghan refugees settled in Pakistan since the start of war, better border management to monitor mobility between Pakistan and Afghanistan and above all re-invigoration of the peace process for a political settlement in Afghanistan. Pakistan has always supported all international initiatives for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and which is also in the interest of Pakistan.
The Council supports Pakistan's stand on a negotiated settlement of the Afghan war. Pakistan on its own and through its security forces has carried out indiscriminate action through Zarb-e- Azab and Rad-Ul-Fasad to eradicate the safe havens in Northern Pakistan and in the process displacing millions of people as also loosing tens of thousands of innocent lives to eliminate terrorism. As such, the Council feels it is unfair on the part of United States to blame Pakistan for not doing enough.
The Council is of considered opinion that Pakistan has played its due role in trying to bring peace into Afghanistan and will continue to back any initiative to bring the warring factions together for a negotiated settlement. The world should recognize the efforts by Pakistan and in the process the sacrifices made; both in terms of precious lives and the economic losses which runs into billions of dollars.-PR
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