QUETTA:
In a first official reaction to US aid cuts, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani expressed ‘extreme concern over the recent statements of American officials on suspension of military aid.’
Addressing a news conference at the chief minister secretariat here on Wednesday, Gilani said that Pakistan is “in the middle of the war against terrorism.”
“We are fighting for the whole world and they benefit from [our contribution],” he said. “Though we are not officially informed, it is a matter of concern for us.”
On the endgame in Afghanistan, the premier said that Pakistan supports reconciliation in Afghanistan but wants to be included in the process.
“Pakistan must be included in evolving any Afghan-based strategy so that Pakistan is not destabilised from such policy, he said.
“We do not want that decisions which were taken thirty years ago be repeated again. Because of those decisions 3.5 million people are still living at refugee camps,” he added.
“The chief executive of Afghanistan and Pakistan, foreign ministers, army chief and heads of intelligence agencies must be present so the issues could be settled officially,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.
COMMENTS (18)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
If Pakistan demands a single penny against its enormous sacrifices and services, some people call it "aid"....isn't it funny.......
If it is so, then Japan is getting AID from African countries by providing them Toyota and Nissan.
@Cosmo.....Thanks for your funny statement.....first of all TELL everyone and PROVE that Osama Bin Laden was there in Pakistan....Secondly if you succeed in proving this biggest lie, then prove HOW you would call a service and AID......if you are from India, you must be exporting software to US and in turn US is giving AID to India....If you are an American you must be giving technical service for space technology to client countries and in turn getting AID from them............is it ok for you ?
@Cosmo:
every country plays these double games.. u ahve to be living in a whole to not be aware of this..
now comign to the accusition of pakistabn selling terror...most militants in pakistan arent even pakistanis.. theyr RAW MOSAD, CIA trained agents...oh and of course afghan millitants too.... so because these militants due to our security lapses found safe havens in pakistan uv decided to label it as a terrorist state...
well then i suppose its time india had a good look in the mirror as its heading in the same path (given ur logic)
now since i believe i know better (and i do know better) what indians and pakistanis need to do is stop with the blame game. its become old.. predictable and futile... we need to step back and determine how we can ensure security for our respective nations.. we need better monitoring of borders between afghanistan and pakistan and pakistan and india.. we need better..more frequent sharing of intelligence.... we also need to realize that just like india cannot provide security to the people of pakistan nor should it pakistan cant do the same for india..... and hence if millitants are being exported from any other coutry.. it is indias responsibility to strengthen her intelligence to ensure such attacks o not happen again.. having said that nothing is full proof.. security lapses do occour... 9/11.. the previous and current mumbai ttacks.. abbotabad raid..attack on pak naval base.... theyr all security lapses and we need to digest the fact that every now and then they will occour... does that mean we should blindly accept this fact?.. no.. it simply means while accepting it we also ensure each time we learn from the security lapses and better ourselves...
im sure itll be difficult for u to digest all that i have said given ur city has suffered a massive blow.. but its difficult for me too, to sit clamly and point out the flaws in ur argument as u so conveniently blame pakistan for ur errors...
@Kashif: wow !1 you are either really funny or very ignorant. "Charges" charges for what selling terror to the world? First you hide Osama and then you charge to the world to find him and when he's ultimately found you are crying like babies. Pakistan must stop this these inhuman double games.
Blaming Pakistan is just like to say "An average american wants America destroyed or an average Indian wants India to be terrorized"......This is the matter of "COMMON SENSE" that HOW and WHY a Pakistani citizen will harbour terrorists or wants his/her own country in trouble.....However someone from outside, may be from US, India or Israel can definitely try to do such negative things in Pakistan, but NOT a single Pakistani can do it......so very simple, Americans should deviate their eyes from Pakistan and should see what India is doing in Afghanistan....and if US doenst think in this way, then I feel sorry for the level of military thinking at senior US military offices.
@Karim Lala....I will be highly obliged if you please throw some light "HOW PAKISTAN CREATED" those so-called terrorists....1st of all USA needed them against USSR, so those were "AMERICAN CREATED TERRORISTS not PAKISTAN's". Then after USSR dissolved into Russia...those Afgha Talibans NEVER EVER attacked Pakistan, nor the US. Then CIA started playing this criminal game of creating a terror of AL-QAIDA....what is AL-QAIDA????? Who is supporting AL-QAIDA???? US, India or Israel ???? Is there any other name you can guess who benefits from supporting al-qaida??? Now who is playing the dirty game? Pakistani ISI or American CIA or Indian RAW or Israeli Mosad?
@Cautious: Thanks for making me feel "good"! I know but what can we do? Hopefully the Pakistanis in the US keep using their influence in the local politics and keep Pakistani army under control. That is why the army touts call Pakistanis like me all kinds of names. The senators and congressmen can do a good job from here and we keep trying. Regards, Mirza
@Kashif: It looks like people aren't exaggerating when they talk about Pakistan's drug problem. I'm giving you a golf clap. Since you can't hear it I felt the need to point it out.
what happened to the pompous bravado by those Pakistanis who claim they no more care about US aid as China -" The all Weather Friend" is ready to lend a helping hand??? why the concern now? where are those braggarts ?
@Kashif: Fighting whom, Army is fighting the very people they created. Why should the world pay for Pakistan's mistakes. Till when would we play these games and ask for aid an in your case charges(although this sounds as if our army is a private militia of US). Wake up dude!!
@ Mirza. The path Pakistan has chosen is abundantly clear if you examine the actions of Pakistan post OBL. Little (if any) effort has been taken to root out the people who were responsible for hiding OBL. Plenty of effort has been taken to root out the people who were responsible for helping discover OBL. Every poll indicates the people of Pakistan hate the Americans and support OBL. Even your Parliament spent all of it's anger focused on why the military didn't prevent the special operation and almost no attention on why the OBL was living comfortably for 5 years in the shadow of their vaunted military academy. You still provide sanctuary to terrorist groups and consider some terrorist as strategic assets ---- shall I go on?
I am surprised by the comments....people are blaming Pakistan. What would you say if you hire a service or buy a thing from a shop, CHARGES or AID ??? Pakistan has fought war for the sake of those who are now blaming Pakistan now and SACRIFICED many many high valued lives and Millions and Millions of dollars from its national budget. That is CHARGES, not AID.
This is one of the biggest clever move by the US againt Pakistan. US entered Afghanistan for nothing but to keep an eye on Pakistan's nuclear programme, China and Russia. Now US is seeing the nightmare of Pak-China military joint venture. Now US is supporting Indian Hindu terrorists in Afganistan by the name of "Pakistani Talibans". And blaming Pakistan for terrorism being carried out by India and US itself.
US aid cut is a disgrace to both allies in the war againt terrorism. Pakistan can not fight the war on terrorism on its own funding and that is for sure!!
America has chastened Pakistan by cutting military aid. First time ever the US and Pakistan relations have sunk so low. USD 800 million cut or withheld in reprisal for turning out US trainers from Pakistan. This is will only hamper the ongoing war on terror.
Pakistan's credibility is at its lowest ebb in history. We call terrorists freedom fighters when the whole world except our narrow minded,stone age zealots disagrees. We cant live in isolation. Let,s listen to the world and co exist. Our nuclear weapons mean nothing for their only use lies in their non-use. It is madness to think otherwise. Improve the economy,stop CORRUPTION, restore law and order, stop family rule in politics, think governance. Live without handouts.
We have to decide, whether we are a nuclear blackmailer or a beggar? We cannot be both, no matter how hard we try or disguise. The second question is, are we with the terrorists or against them, we cannot be both anymore? The world if not Pakistan needs clear answers. The discovery and killing of OBL in a military base was a game changer. The whole world is looking for clear answers and the truth not excuses and temper tantrum. Beggars cannot be blackmailer or play games anymore. The sooner the better.