Kerry’s trip was confirmed by the foreign office, which announced on Thursday that US Secretary of State will arrive in Islamabad later this month for crucial talks with the country’s new political leadership on future bilateral cooperation.

At his weekly briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry confirmed to reporters that the top American diplomat will tour Pakistan in the fourth week of June.

“The final dates are being worked out,” the spokesperson added.

This follows Kerry himself recently stating that he was eager to meet the new leadership, which sees Nawaz Sharif becoming Prime Minister for a record third time.

The US secretary of state’s visit is seen to be important because it will set the tone for future cooperation between Islamabad and Washington.

Nawaz’s government has already indicated that it will review the foreign policy pursued by the previous administration of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

One of the main agendas during talks between Kerry and the new leadership will be resolving the issue of the controversial CIA-led drone campaign in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly called the drone attacks “ counterproductive” and in “violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications”.

Although US President Barack Obama recently made it clear that his administration would not halt the drone strikes, the PML-N is confident it will be able to find a ‘mutually acceptable’ solution to the CIA-piloted campaign.

Chaudhry said there was an “across-the-board political consensus on Pakistan’s position on the issue of drone strikes”.

“There is also a growing international debate over the humanitarian and legal implications of drone strikes. This matter is receiving priority attention of the government,” he maintained.

In reply to a question, the spokesperson claimed Islamabad had raised the issue of the stealing of Pakistani intelligence reports by the US National Security Agency with Washington.

Western media reports revealed that NSA has stolen 13.5 billion intelligence reports from Pakistan, as part of the wider controversy surrounding NSA’s ‘PRISM’ programme that can secretly survey internet and telephone activity.

“We have seen these media reports, and have taken up the matter with the US to ascertain the veracity of the news and obtain facts of the matter. We are awaiting their response,” Chaudhry concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2013.

The defence budget has been jacked up to Rs627.2 billion for the financial year beginning July 1, compared to Rs545.3 billion allocated in the outgoing fiscal year, showing an increase of Rs82 billion.

However, against the original allocation of Rs545.3 billion, the military overspent Rs25 billion, raising the total expenditure to Rs570 billion in 2012-13.

According to the budget document, the lion’s share went to the army which got Rs301.54 billion, followed by the air force with Rs131.18 billion and the navy with Rs62.80 billion.

Of the total Rs627.2 billion, Rs271.2 billion have been allocated for employees-related expenses, Rs162.2 billion for operating expenses and Rs131.3 billion for physical assets.

However, the figures do not include over Rs132.7 billion allocated for pensions of the retired military personnel that would be paid from the civilian budget and a separate allocation for the security-related expenses, a move which critics say seeks to conceal the actual defence spending.

In addition to this, the military will also be given Rs150 billion under the contingent liability, Rs70 billion under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) and Rs35 billion has been allocated for the military’s services to the UN peacekeeping missions in the coming fiscal year. This means a whopping Rs1,014 billion have been allocated for the military, which is about 28.2% of the country’s total budget.

The defence budget – which has never been properly debated in Parliament – has remained a sensitive and controversial subject in Pakistan and there have been calls for greater scrutiny of the spending.

Pakistan raises its defence spending every year because of its historically uneasy relations with arch-rival India. India earlier this year boosted military spending by 21% to $42.7 billion for the coming year as it seeks to counter China’s rapid military build-up and its traditional rival Pakistan as well.

Defence analysts believe that given the internal security challenges much of the increase in the defence budget by Pakistan is likely to be spent on the fight against militancy.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2013.

A senior PML-N leader engaged in foreign policy matters has revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will soon inform Washington that his government is ready to address US concerns pertaining to terrorist threats in Pakistan’s tribal region in return for the cessation of the CIA-piloted drone campaign. He reiterated that the government was principally opposed to unilateral strikes on Pakistani territory and hence would urge Washington to put an end to the campaign.

“But having said that drone attacks must not be seen in isolation,” said the ruling party member, who asked to remain anonymous. “There are reasons for drone attacks and we have to address those,” he added.

He explained that the newly-elected PML-N government was working on a new anti-terror strategy that not only opposes drone attacks but all elements violating the country’s sovereignty by keeping “safe havens on our territory.” The issue will come up at the maiden meeting of federal cabinet set to take place today (Monday).

Last week, in his victory speech soon after his election as the country’s Prime Minister, although Nawaz called for an immediate end to drone attacks, he made it clear that Pakistan must also address the concerns of others.

“We must learn others’ concerns about us and express our concerns about them, and find a way to resolve this issue,” the Prime Minister said in his maiden address to the National Assembly.

Pakistan and the United States will hear each others’ concerns later this month when Secretary of State John Kerry travels to Islamabad. This will be Kerry’s first trip to Pakistan after the installation of a new government in the country.

“We are confident that we will be able to resolve the issue of drones with the US,” said another official.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz, after consultations with all stakeholders, will announce a policy statement making it clear that the government would not allow its territory to be used against any other country.

However, it is not clear how the new government plans to achieve that objective.

The country’s security establishment, despite carrying out operations in other tribal agencies, has in the past remained reluctant about launching a full-scale military offensive against alleged terrorist hideouts – including those alleged to belong to the Haqqani network – in the North Waziristan Agency.

Sources said a clearer picture would emerge after a high-level civil-military huddle to discuss important national security issues.

The government, on the other hand, is quite confident that it can convince the US to stop drone attacks if its ‘genuine concerns’ are addressed.

In new policy guidelines approved recently by President Barrack Obama, the US has set certain conditions for drone use. One such condition is that US will use drones only when the host country is either incapable or lacks the will to eliminate the specific terror threat.

“This means that if we can act decisively against such specific targets then the US has no justification for drone use,” the official said.

“If the new government does bring a policy shift and act against all foreign militant groups finding refuge in tribal areas, this will have far-reaching implications,” commented international affairs analyst Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed, who is currently Jinnah fellow at the Oxford University.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.

In a message to heads of Pakistan missions abroad, the newly-elected premier said national interests will drive the foreign policy in all circumstances.

According to the foreign ministry, the prime minister provided an outline of the priorities of the government on foreign policy to serve as basic guidelines for embassies/missions abroad.

Nawaz Sharif said the government will be guided by the wisdom of the people, the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the desire to see Pakistan acquire its rightful place in the comity of nations.

While his priorities include improving ties with the country’s immediate neighbours, the crippling energy crises seems to figure high on the government’s foreign policy guidelines.

The prime minister directed heads of missions abroad to identify potential bilateral and multilateral partners to help address the country’s energy woes through tangible project proposals in the traditional and renewable energy sectors.

He also directed them to “aggressively pursue economic diplomacy and promotion of Pakistan’s interests in the realms of trade, foreign investment, and economic cooperation.”

Effective economic diplomacy would require synergistic relationships between diplomatic missions and the relevant stakeholders in Pakistan, including ministries as well as the business community at large, he pointed out.

He directed economic ministries and departments, including commerce, finance, EAD and BOI to provide the requisite information and backup support needed by missions to undertake practical steps for facilitating traders and current and prospective investors at both ends.

Peaceful neighbourhood

Prime Minister Nawaz noted that the government’s immediate attention was focused on the country’s neighbours.

“Unless the region is peaceful,” he said, “our efforts for growth and development will not be met successfully”.

Nawaz underscored the importance of developing a regional consensus on supporting a stable government in Afghanistan.

He affirmed that “the policy of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation will be pursued.”

With India, the prime minister said there is a need to progressively pursue normalcy in bilateral relations, while actively seeking solutions to all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

The premier expressed his desire to deepen relations with “our friends and brothers in the Middle East.”

In an attempt to ensure a delicate balance, he said Pakistan will continue to pursue ‘close cooperative relations’ with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran.

On relations with the US, the Prime Minister noted that the two countries have many areas of common interest.

“We will build on convergence and wherever there are divergences we will work to try to minimise and remove them.”

He said Pakistan will strengthen strategic ties with China, a country that has always been a great friend and a significant economic partner.

Nawaz also spoke of enhancing ties with Russia, which is an important partner and regional power.

Despite its recent economic troubles, Nawaz said Europe continues to be an important player on the global sphere and is Pakistan’s largest trading partner.

“We will continue to engage with European countries, both bilaterally with individual countries, as well as multilaterally with the European Union.”

Fighting terror

The premier said his government would develop a “comprehensive strategy and a national consensus” in consultation will all political parties, security forces, media and the civil society in dealing with growing threat of terrorism.

At the same time, he added, it is the government’s imperative to address the external dimension of terrorism.

“This would require plugging the sources of external funding of various extremists groups besides seeking cooperation of regional and global community,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2013.

Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani conveyed his willingness to brief the new government on major security challenges in a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Gen Kayani was among the first officials to meet the new premier soon after he took the oath of office at the Presidency, underlining the importance of civil-military relations.

The crucial briefing will take place at the Prime Minister Office where Gen Kayani, along with the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), head of the Military Intelligence and the director general of Military Operations will apprise the new political leadership of the security challenges.

Sources said the security establishment will formally give its input on Premier Nawaz Sharif’s plans to initiate peace talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an effort to put end to years of bloodshed in the country.

Although, the TTP has rescinded its talks offer following the killing of its chief military strategist Waliur Rehman in a recent US drone attack, the PML-N government will still try to give peace a chance, said a senior PML-N leader requesting anonymity.

In his maiden address to Parliament, Nawaz did not make any statement on proposed peace talks with the Taliban, indicating the sensitive nature of the issue. However, the PML-N leader pointed out that Nawaz would make a policy statement on the subject after in-depth consultation with all stakeholders.

“He (Nawaz Sharif) will make important announcements soon in his address to the nation,” the PML-N leader disclosed.

It is believed that the security establishment has reservations over initiating peace talks with the Taliban. The reservations stem from the track record of the militant group, which used past peace agreements to regroup.

The issue of drone attacks in the tribal regions will also figure prominently in the briefing. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is seeking an end to the CIA-led campaign. The military leadership will share their perspective regarding finding a solution to the controversial programme.

Another subject that is expected to be at the heart of discussions will be Pakistan’s role in the Afghan endgame.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: The Indian foreign office secretary expressed regret and assured thorough investigations into an assault on a Pakistan diplomat in India, in a phone call to the Pakistan foreign office on Tuesday.

In this regard, he informed the foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani that two persons involved in the incident have already been arrested and an FIR as been lodged.

The Pakistan foreign office summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to express serious concern over the mishandling of a diplomat.

The diplomat and his driver were manhandled by around 10 people in New Delhi, according to the Pakistan High Commission.

Sources in the High Commission said, Zargham Raza, First Secretary Trade in the Pakistan High Commission, was being chased by a motorcycle. There was an altercation after which the biker along with a group of 10 to 15 people manhandled Raza and his driver.

Sources in Delhi police confirmed that the diplomat was pushed around by several men.

The new war concept, developed after four years of war games and military exercises, seeks to improve the mobilisation time of troops and develop an integrated response from the combined fighting arms of the army, navy and air forces, in case of a conventional military threat.

It will formally be put into practice with the culmination of the “Azm-e-Nou” war-games series this month. The exercises, which started in 2009, have been part of the army’s new concept of war fighting, designed to respond to the threat posed by India’s Pakistan-specific cold-start doctrine.

The cold-start doctrine is intended to allow India’s conventional forces to perform swift and unexpected holding penetrations within the first 72 hours of hostilities.

The doctrine has been designed to give India an edge in the first few days of combat operations, before international pressure could be brought to bear on India and before the Pakistani military could respond effectively.

The Indian military, however, publicly denies the existence of any such doctrine. The final series of ‘Azm-e-Nau IV’ kicked off in Islamabad at the National Defence University on Monday to validate operational plans prepared in view of the emerging threat environment, said a senior military official.

All services chiefs are being hosted by Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani for the finalisation of the new concept.

“The army war games are the culmination of a series of such exercises and aims at validation and crystallisation of operational plans prepared in view of the emerging threat environment,” said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Operational plans of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy are also being finalised in close coordination with the army.

The war games will continue for two weeks, the statement added.

Unveiling details of the concept, the military source said that after the implementation of the new war fighting strategy, the Pakistan Army would be able to mobilise its forces faster than India.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.

“His (Imran) recovery is slower than expected and he will be taken to London for a medical checkup,” a close friend of Khan told The Express Tribune on Friday. A team of doctors, who are treating Khan, is also expected to accompany him.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said the PTI chief was scheduled to travel to Islamabad earlier this week but his ‘ill health’ compelled him to cancel his plans.

Khan is not attending the inaugural session of National Assembly today when the newly-elected members will take oath.

Khan was discharged from hospital on May 22 two weeks after falling from a platform at an election campaign rally in Lahore.

He said because of his slow recovery, doctors advised further checkups in London.

When contacted, PTI spokesperson Dr Shireen Mazari refused to confirm or deny the development. “I’ve no information about his [Imran Khan] traveling abroad for a medical checkup,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2013.

The PML-N president said that a cessation of drone attacks was crucial for such diplomatic and strategic cooperation, sources told The Express Tribune.

Dobbins is the first senior high-ranking American official to visit Pakistan following the May 11 elections that won the PML-N a majority in the National Assembly.

During his election campaign, Nawaz had voiced concerns over the CIA-led drone campaign and said he would raise the issue with the Obama administration.

On Thursday, Nawaz was able to directly convey his disquiet to a senior US official over the strikes for the first time.

The meeting came just a day after a US drone strike killed TTP second in command Waliur Rehman in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA). The attack was the first since the May 11 elections followed soon after the new policy guidelines approved by US President Barrack Obama promising stricter targeting guidelines for the use of drones.

Sources say Nawaz Sharif informed Dobbins that Pakistan would facilitate US-led foreign forces to withdraw from neighboring Afghanistan. But he cautioned that the policy of carrying out unilateral strikes in the tribal areas could make it difficult for his government to win necessary support for the Afghan endgame.

Nawaz also said Pakistan would support an ‘Afghan-led and Afghan-owned’ peace process. “We have no favourites in Afghanistan and our policy will be to allow Afghans to decide their future themselves,” a party official quoted the PML-N leader as telling the US envoy.

The US Special Representative also met Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Moreover, Dobbins spoke to President Asif Ali Zardari via telephone, according to a statement by the US Embassy.

Ministry statement

According to a statement by the foreign ministry, Dobbins congratulated the people of Pakistan on the historic May 11 elections and underscored the United States’ commitment to working with the next democratically-elected government to build a strong, mutually beneficial, bilateral relationship.

During his engagements, Dobbins and his interlocutors discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including advancing shared counterterrorism objectives; increasing economic opportunities; strengthening civilian democracy and civil society; and supporting an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process.

In a separate statement issued by the foreign ministry he said during the talks discussion on bilateral relations and regional situation including latest developments in Afghanistan took place.

The foreign secretary also briefed the new US envoy about the steps taken by Pakistan for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to remain positively engaged in supporting the peace process.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.

Rehman was killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday, according to intelligence officials. North Waziristan is used by the Taliban and their al Qaeda cohorts as a springboard for launching attacks on foreign forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.

If confirmed by the government, this would be the second major blow to the ultraorthodox group after the killing of its chief Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike in 2009.

Rehman was the spokesperson for Baitullah Mehsud, deputy to his successor Hakimullah Mehsud, and heir apparent to his incumbent boss. He carried $5 million bounty on his head.

Remotely-piloted US aircraft fired four missiles at a mud-built guesthouse in the Chashma area, in Miramshah sub-division of North Waziristan in the wee hours of Wednesday, an intelligence official told The Express Tribune.

The missile strike flattened the guesthouse, killing all those inside, the official added. He identified five of the victims as Waliur Rehman, Fakhar-e-Alam, alias Zarrar, Adil and Nasiruddin – apart from Waliur Rehman, these are all mid-level commanders of the group. The remaining two, according to him, were Uzbek militants.

He claimed that the militants stayed for the night in the guesthouse following their shura (Taliban consultative council) meeting.

Security sources told AFP the target was Waliur Rehman. “He was definitely the target of the strike, and drone strikes are usually accurate at getting their target,” the source said.

A senior military official termed Rehman’s killing as a ‘big blow’ to TTP. “He was the operational head of TTP. He was the real brains behind the execution of the TTP’s plans,” the official told The Express Tribune while requesting anonymity.

TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan denied the reported death of Rehman. “These media reports are untrue,” he told The Express Tribune by phone. “I am not aware of any such incident,” he added.

However, Taliban sources in North Waziristan and local journalists confirmed Rehman’s death. “The Taliban were in a state of shock the whole day,” a Taliban source said. “Several Taliban leaders also attended his funeral,” he added.

Taliban fighters also often seal off the sites of drone strikes immediately so that journalists cannot see the victims.

“Tribesmen began rescue work an hour after the attack and recovered seven bodies,” said resident Bashir Dawar. “The bodies were badly charred and beyond recognition.”

A high-level security official said a ground search was under way to determine whether Rehman was killed or had escaped the assault. Washington accuses Rehman of organising attacks against the US and Nato forces in Afghanistan and also wants him in connection with a suicide attack on an American base in Afghanistan in 2009 that killed seven CIA agents.

It was first such attack since Washington laid down new guidelines for the controversial weapon. The guidelines say drone strikes can only be used to prevent imminent attacks, when the capture of a suspect is not feasible and if there is a ‘near certainty’ that civilians will not be killed.

Drone strikes have been unpopular in Pakistan, where the government publicly denounces them as illegal and a violation of sovereignty.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministry again denounced drone strikes in general. “The government has consistently maintained that the drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives, have human rights and humanitarian implications and violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law,” it said in a statement.

The latest attack was the first since the May 11 general election, won by the Nawaz Sharif-led faction of PML-N.

Prime minister-in-waiting Nawaz Sharif said this month that drone strikes were a ‘challenge’ to the country’s sovereignty. “We will sit with our American friends and talk to them about this issue,” he said.

The strike also coincided with the first session of the newly elected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. PTI, which will form the next government in the province, denounced the strike, saying Obama had gone back on his word.

Both PML-N and PTI favour dialogue with the TTP. But analysts say Waliur Rehman’s killing could complicate peace efforts. In the past, Waliur Rehman was believed to have favoured of peace talks with Pakistani authorities.

“He (Waliur Rehman) may have been more pragmatic than Hakimullah Mehsud but he was not innocent. He had blood of many innocent Pakistanis on his hands,” defense analyst Brigadier (retd) Mahmood Shah said when asked whether his killing could have any impact on peace-making efforts.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2013.