Tehmina briefs Senate body: 'RAW won't be allowed to use Afghan soil for terrorist activities'

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua said on Tuesday that the United States has assured Pakistan that neither any terrorist group present in Afghanistan nor Indian spy agency RAW will be allowed to use Afghan soil for launching attacks inside Pakistan. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, she said that the US has been apprised of the fact that Indian intelligence agency RAW is using Afghan soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan.
On that, she added that the US also assured Pakistan that India will not be given role in Afghanistan which is detrimental to Pakistan's security. The core of US strategy what the US authorities said is to first put pressure on the Taliban and Haqqani network, and secondly to restart the reconciliation process through Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), she added.
She told that the Americans said Pakistan should use its full leverage on Taliban and in return the US would be committed to address Pakistan's security concerns and continue to target the terrorists including TTP and other groups. The role that was given to India was not acceptable to Pakistan, she said, adding the Indians have been involved in terrorism against Pakistan through Afghanistan. The presence of RAW is very much there in Afghanistan, she added.
Janjua also denied that the US has handed over any list of terrorist organizations present in Pakistan for taking action and insisted that there is no organized presence of any terror group in the country. During his recent visit to country, she said, the US Secretary of States Rex Tillerson was conveyed in a clear and categorical terms that "Pakistan has done enough and cannot be blamed for losses and US failures in Afghanistan and that we shall do whatever is necessary in accordance to our own national interests."
She said that the US was also conveyed that for Pakistan it is in its own interests to fight terrorism and "we cleared the areas up to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber-IV and two other military operations." On the US consistent position on the alleged 'safe havens', she said that there is 'no reality' in the US claims, adding that after these military operations Pakistan feels that there is no organized presence of Taliban or substructure of any of terror group in Pakistan.
However, she said that Pakistan's message is very clear that "we would do whatever we can do within our own areas," adding the Americans and the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan must take responsibility of peace and security within Afghanistan. "We also underscored the fact that the question of safe havens is no more relevant, because, if they could explain to us what safe havens mean. As far as we are concerned, we have cleared of our territory of any substructure that could be called safe haven," she asserted.
Janjua further stated that Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and Haqqani Network do not have 'safe havens' in Pakistan because as reported by the UN and many international reports that 45 percent of Afghan territory is held by non-governmental indigenous forcers that also include the Taliban and Daesh as well. She said if there is any sanctuary that is required for these terrorist groups for carrying out terror attacks within Afghanistan that could be within that 45 percent ungoverned areas of Afghanistan.
She said, "Pakistan has also told the Americans if they can give us actionable intelligence, we will take action against any individual or anyone and anything that you identify as having terror intend, you feel that could be a possibility of danger, first to Pakistan and then Afghanistan." Janjua said that Pakistan told the Americans in categorical terms that they have to take action against sanctuaries in Afghanistan's Kunar and Nangarhar provinces against the individuals who are detrimental to Pakistan's security and have found safe havens there.
The foreign secretary said Pakistan is taking effective measures for border management with Afghanistan. Responding to questions by committee members regarding the use of 'Indo-Pacific' instead of Asia Pacific by the US authorities, Janjua said that Pakistan has objected to the use of this term, adding Indian hegemony in the region is unacceptable.
On the recent visit of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Kabul in which Janjua was also part of the delegation, she said the visit was very fruitful and all the discussions were held in a friendly atmosphere. She also revealed that during meeting with Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had expressed a desire to receive trade from India through Pakistan. General Bajwa, however, had said that India should make a formal request in this regard as no overture to this effect has been made to Pakistan yet, she said.
To a question, she did not agree to the perception that Foreign Office does not have role in formation of the country's foreign policy, saying that the foreign policy is framed in consultation of various stakeholders as happens anywhere else including the US. To another query about the statement of US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley that "US will need India's help to keep an eye on Pakistan," Janjua said that Pakistan has already responded to her comments and also raised the issue with the US authorities.
"Nikki Haley is actually the first generation of Indian origin, speaking for India on one hand, while also eying on other important position in the US administration through giving such comments," Janjua remarked. She said that the US is ready to mediate between Pakistan and India over Kashmir dispute.
The committee also expressed its concern over the fact that all Pakistani chairs in foreign universities are lying vacant and no concrete steps have been taken to fill them. The committee called upon the government to immediately fill in the slots as there is a dire need to effectively project the soft image of the country. The committee also directed the ministry, during briefing about the economic diplomacy, to adopt a vibrant and proactive economic diplomacy and explore new avenues of promotion of trade and economic links for socio-economic prosperity of the country.