No militant group operates in Pakistan freely, says minister
Pak envoys debating foreign policy issues
islamabad — Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a statement by the five socalled emerging-market BRICS powers that militant groups in Pakistan pose a regional security concern, with defence minister saying no group operates freely inside Pakistan.
The minister’s response follows a statement on Monday by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that also called for patrons of the Pakistan-based militant groups to be held to account.
“These organisations, they have some of their remnants in Pakistan, which we’re cleaning,” Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan told the Geo TV channel.
“But Pakistan, we reject this thing categorically, no terrorist organisation has any complete safe havens.”
The groups named by the BRICS include anti-India militant factions such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, which was blamed for a 2001 attack on India’s parliament, and Lashkar-eTaiba, which India blames for crossborder attacks including a 2008 assault in its financial capital Mumbai in which 166 people were killed. Another group the BRICS named was the Haqqani network, which is allied with the Afghan Taleban militants
these organisations, they have some of their remnants in pakistan, which we’re cleaning Khurram Dastagir Khan, Defence Minister
waging war on the US-backed government in Kabul and foreign forces there. The United States has been calling on Pakistan to do more to tackle alleged Haqqani network sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border, or it might cut military aid. Interestingly, the US itself is trying to bring Taleban to the negotiations table. — Reuters islamabad — A group of selected Pakistani envoys, including those in India and China, on Tuesday began debating key foreign policy issues in an effort to chalk out a response to the new US strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.
The three-day conference was inaugurated by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.
The three-day conference comes a day after Pakistan’s longtime ally China and four other countries including India agreed to foster cooperation against two terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.
The conference could allow various Pakistani envoys to harmonise their understanding of the foreign policy issues facing the country, particularly after the US president last month alleged Islamabad of harbouring terror groups.
The new US strategy, outlined by Donald Trump, seeks a greater development role for India in Afghanistan. Other issues to be discussed at the meet may include the BRICS declaration in China’s Xiamen city, calling Pakistan-based militant groups a security concern in the region.
Pakistan’s ambassador and high commissioners in the US, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Afghanistan, Iran, and India were attending the conference, the Foreign Office said.
Its spokesman said in a brief statement that the envoys “will deliberate over a range of bilateral, regional and global dimensions of Pakistan’s foreign policy.”
Diplomatic sources here said Asif in his opening remarks said there was no military solution to the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan. He urged the envoys to discuss Pakistan’s India ties and the situation in Kashmir, and suggest how Islamabad should highlight the issue. — PTI, AP