A meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security has been convened on December 16 to seek briefing from the government on new Afghan policy announced by the US and its possible ramification on Pakistan security interests.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi would brief the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Council. The opposition members of the Committee have expressed concerns over conflicting statements by both sides on policy. Sources said that the Committee wanted to know about the details of talks US officials held with the high ups of Pakistan prior to announcement of the Policy.
They said this becomes important for the Committee to know details of talks in view of US claim that Pakistan was taken on board before the announcement of the policy. On the other hand, Pakistan has been demanding of the US that its concerns must be addressed in the policy.
They said that the Committee would also like to know exactly what repercussions the new Afghan policy could have on Pakistan and what measures has been taken by the government in this regard. Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has already said that his government wants more clarity about the new Afghan policy.
He also made it clear that deployment of more US troops in Helman province of Afghanistan would increase infiltration into Balochistan and fuel militancy. He wanted that Afghan side of the border should be secured properly before deployment of more troops in Afghanistan to prevent militants' influx into Balochistan.
They said that Pakistan has concerns about the deployment of more US troops in areas of Afghanistan near Pakistan border because unprotected Afghan side of border may result in influx of militant into Balochistan. This could create more problems if the Afghan side of the border area was not properly protected prior to deployment of more US troops. According to them the Nato forces have removed three check posts at Afghan border near South Waziristan when Pakistan forces started operation in Waziristan. This move by the Nato would have obviously facilitated the militants who with the removal of Nato check posts on Afghan side of border could easily move across the border.
The US has announced to send 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan in an effort to augment the already deployed 68,000 US and 39,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan operating against Taliban forces.