Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Wednesday warned US President Donald Trump to stay in his limits, saying 'he must realize that people of Pakistan have the legacy of Vietnam and Cambodia.' "Trump must realize that we hail the legacy of Vietnam and Cambodia...if he [Donald Trump] wants Pakistan to become a graveyard of the US soldiers, let it be so," he warned the US President during a debate in Senate on his recent statement against Pakistan amid thumping desks by MPs.
At the same time, Rabbani also said that the Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif should postpone his scheduled visit to Washington in protest. "I would suggest the foreign minister to cancel his trip to US, as it would send a good message," he added. In a policy statement on behalf of foreign minister, Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan declared Trump's statement 'disappointing,' and said no country in the world has done more than Pakistan to counter the menace of terrorism.
"No country in the world has suffered more than Pakistan from the scourge of terrorism, often perpetrated from outside our borders. It is, therefore, disappointing that the US policy statement ignores the enormous sacrifices rendered by the Pakistani nation in this effort," he added. He continued that President Trump's strategy on Afghanistan and South Asia would be taken in National Security Committee meeting scheduled for today (Thursday), and the recommendations made by Senate would also be placed before the committee, which will be chaired by the Prime Minister.
He said that Pakistan has taken serious note of President Trump's statement outlining elements of a new US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, adding Pakistan has been and will continue to be part of the global counterterrorism efforts. "Pakistan and the US have been close allies in the fight against terrorism, which is a common threat to all nations of the world. As a matter of policy, Pakistan does not allow use of its territory against any country. Instead of relying on the false narrative of safe havens, the US needs to work with Pakistan to eradicate terrorism," he added.
The defence minister said that the threat to peace and security cannot be isolated from the complex interplay of geopolitics, continued existence of festering disputes and pursuit of hegemonic policies, adding non-resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the primary obstacle to peace and stability in the region.
He said that Pakistan reiterates its view that there is no exclusive military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan. The military action during the last 17 years has not brought peace to Afghanistan, and it is not likely to do so in the future. Only an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned politically negotiated solution can lead to sustainable peace in Afghanistan. "Pakistan is committed to working with the international community towards the common objective of defeating the forces of terrorism and to promote peace and stability in the South Asian region," he maintained.
The opposition MPs termed the policy statement by the minister disappointing, saying it was too late, and the stance taken by the government as well as its response should have been quicker. Sherry Rehman, a PPP senator said that it is position of the US President and to some extent it relates to his bureaucracy, which should have been given a befitting response by the Foreign Office.
She was all praise for the stand taken by Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa who plainly told US Ambassador David Hale that Pakistan does not want material or financial assistance from the US but needs to be trusted and treated with respect.
"This message should have been given by the civilian leadership. Through his statement, Trump has defeated America's objectives in Afghanistan," she regretted. She called upon both the US and Pakistan to look into their mistakes, adding Pakistan had paid a huge price in the war against terrorism and discrediting will not augur well for the US.
Raza Rabbani also said that Committee of the Whole will discuss the statement of Donald Trump while a sub-committee comprising Senators Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Sherry Rehman and others will prepare its recommendations, which will be sent to government for consideration after adopting by the house. Senator Farhatullah Babar said that President Trump is wrong in pointing fingers at Pakistan but while rejecting the US President's arrogance Pakistan must also look inwardly whether time has not come for abandoning the failed policy of selective treatment of militant groups.
He deplored that the US was blaming Pakistan for its failure in Afghanistan. "But at the same time we must also revisit the policy of nurturing some militants to advance our security and foreign policy agendas in the regions," he added. He proposed the government to boost relations with Russia, China and Iran, instead of relying on the US, as the ties between the two have gone sour after Trump took over.
Opposition Leader in Senate, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan regretted how weakly the policy statement by the government handled the situation. The very thing, according to him, the government had to take was giving demarche to the US ambassador to Pakistan. The government should have applied "A lock and G lock" to tell the US that Pakistan can block the supply routes to transport fuel and other supplies for Nato troops stationed in Afghanistan, he said, adding, "Then we could have established the civilian supremacy."
Senators Nehal Hashmi and Usman Khan Kakar objected to US Ambassador David Hale's meeting with CoAS General Qamar Bajwa, saying the envoy should have met the democratically elected government instead of meeting the military establishment. "The establishment frames foreign and security policies and then they blame the Parliament whenever the country is in trouble. The Parliament should be empowered as it's the only solution to all the problems," he added.
Senator Hashmi said that US is an occupation force in South Asia, which must pack up from the region, as that is the only way out to restore lasting peace in the region. He questioned the meeting of the US ambassador with army chief, saying: "In which capacity he [David Hale] is meeting the army chief when there is a democratically elected government in the country."
He demanded the US ambassador to tender an apology for meeting the army chief by ignoring the civilian leadership. Hashmi also demanded that the 'huge complex of US embassy being constructed in Islamabad should be reduced in size as the building is nothing but to spy on Pakistan.' Another Senator Saeedul Hassan Mandokhel announced in the house that he was scheduled to go to US for getting medical treatment but after Trump's statement, he decided to get treatment in Quetta - his hometown - or anywhere in the world, but not in the US.
Senator Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd) called upon the US to learn from history, and said that involving India - the arch rival of Pakistan - shows the US is not serious in resolving Afghan issue. He said that there could be no peace in the region without resolution of longstanding dispute of Kashmir, but the US is acting as a silent spectator over Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir which shows its nefarious motives.
Senator Taj Haider said that war is in the favour of a superpower, and this is what the US is doing to linger on its hegemony. He said that it is time for Pakistan to get rid of US monopoly "as it has been befooling us for the last seventy years."
The other lawmakers also lambasted the US for, what they said, its double standard to weaken Pakistan under one pretext or another at the behest of India, but it will not succeed in its motives as people of Pakistan know how to protect their interests. They also called for a joint session of the Parliament to give a clear message to the US not to 'mess up with Pakistan' as it will not benefit it given the sacrifices by the latter in the war against terrorism.