Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua Thursday said that the recent visit by the US delegation led by Senator John McCain was aimed at seeking Pakistan's assistance so that the US may not lose its war in Afghanistan. Briefing Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, the foreign secretary said that the US was currently in the process of Afghan policy review and the visit of the US delegation earlier this month was in this context.
Led by Senator John McCain, chairman Senate Committee on Armed Services, the delegation included Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator David Perdue and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. According to Janjua, Senator McCain in his meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, admitted that the US is not winning the war in Afghanistan and he wanted Pakistan's assistance in the review process with a view that the US may not lose the war in Afghanistan.
She told the committee that Senator McCain and his delegation members appreciated Pakistan's efforts against terrorism and acknowledged the country's sacrifices rendered in this war but at the same time he also raised the issue of "safe havens", alleged sanctuaries of militant groups, especially Haqqani network fighting US forces in Afghanistan. Janjua said that Pakistan conveyed in categorical terms that our security forces are engaged in indiscriminate actions against all the terror groups with a view to secure our borders.
She said that Pakistan side also raised concerns at the deteriorating law and order situation in Afghanistan and also emphasized the importance of effective border management to stop militants' infiltration including on the measures such as fencing the Pakistan-Afghan border. However, she said that some comments were attributed to Senator McCain by media when he reached Kabul from Islamabad. Those comments were not positive with respect to Pakistan's efforts for the restoration of peace and stability in the region.
During the meetings in Islamabad, she said that the importance of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) also came under discussion with the US delegation and Pakistan side reiterated its position that the solution to the Afghan conflict was possible only through reconciliation process that should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. "It was an important visit in the context that Senator McCain is being considered part of the so-called US establishment," she added. However, the committee members insisted that parliamentary delegations from abroad should also hold interactions with Pakistani parliamentarians during their visits to the country.
Committee member Colonel Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (Retd) from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) suggested that it should be made part of the protocol that every parliamentary delegation visiting the country especially from the US should meet with their Pakistani counterparts. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shibli Faraz raised questions on Pakistan's Afghan policy, saying the government needs to take Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government into confidence in its Afghan policy due to its direct implications for the people of the province. The foreign secretary also briefed the committee on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent foreign trips to various countries including Israel, Germany, Spain, France, Russia and the US.
On his visit to Israel, she said that Modi signed seven MoUs that also included for setting up an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel. Janjua said the Indian Prime Minister made an effort to show the friendship between India and Israel during his visit, adding Modi also met with an Israeli victim family of the Mumbai attack just to support the so-called stance against terrorism of the two countries.
She told the committee that not a single Gulf country utter a word over Indian Prime Minister's visit to Israel. However, Iran did issue a statement related to the situation in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she added. Modi, during his visit to the US met President Donald trump and the talks between the two leaders were based on combating terrorism and promoting stability. She said that India is trying to link Kashmiris' freedom struggle with terrorism which is contradictory to the factual situation. Pakistan believes that a freedom movement cannot be termed as terrorism, she added.
Before the visit, she said that the US enlisted Kashmiri leader Syed Salahuddin to its terror list. Pakistan gave a strong reaction and opposed the move, she added. Janjua said that Pakistan has also conveyed to the US not to remain silent on the Indian atrocities in the occupied Kashmir.
She said that Pakistan has always rejected the allegations of using our soil for terrorism against any other country, adding India was leveling such allegations to divert attention of the world from the situations in the occupied Kashmir. Earlier, committee member Farhatullah Babar raised the issue of several Pakistani citizens gone missing in Saudi Arabia in mysterious circumstances, saying the government should asked the Saudi government about the missing Pakistanis. He expressed the fear that the missing Pakistani may have sent to Yemen to take part in the war, adding there were also report of bringing some dead bodies from the Yemen.
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