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NATO attack has raised serious questions: FM Khar
In an interview to NPR, Khar said that terms of engagement were not clearly understood, not clearly respected.
Khar said that Pakistan feels its role in the decade-old fight against terror has been “misinterpreted, has not been recognized and has not been appreciated enough". PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE/WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Tuesday that the NATO attack on the Mohmand checkpost was not an isolated incident and had raised much bigger questions than whether Islamabad will join an investigation on the event.
Khar, in an interview to National Public Radio (NPR) in Lahore on Tuesday, was underscoring the importance Pakistan attaches to respect for its sovereignty in the fight against terrorists along the Afghan border.
“The question of sovereignty is an extremely important one and this is not the first time. You can have a space for mistakes once. You can have it twice, but you cannot have it, you know, for eight times. These types of engagement are not acceptable to the Pakistani public. They will certainly not be acceptable to the parliament of Pakistan and to the government of Pakistan.”
The foreign minister, pressing her point, also pointed out the May 2 unilateral raid on Abbottabad and the questions that it raised about the red lines that Pakistan has put in place, while cooperating with the international community in the anti-terror fight.
“I think the questions raised in Pakistan are much larger than whether we will participate in the investigation or not. I want to emphasise on the fact that this is not an isolated incident,” she told NPR in the wake of the November 26 Nato strike that resulted in deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers.
“If the terms of engagement are not clearly understood, are not clearly respected, that gives each of the parties the right to go back and reassess the situation that I think Pakistan is, today, just exercising that right.” Following the deadly attack, Khar said, Islamabad has to do “some serious introspection to see what we make of the role that we play within the international efforts in Afghanistan.
“As to the question of sovereignty of Pakistan, this question of territorial integrity of Pakistan, and really, the questions are being asked that – is it too much of a cost that Pakistan has paid?”
Khar said that Pakistan feels its role in the decade-old fight against terror has been “misinterpreted, has not been recognised and has not been appreciated enough.”
“And, on top of that, to have an incident in which we feel, at best, giving the benefit of doubt, our soldiers lost their lives to an extremely callous attitude. This episode has obviously created a lot of rage in Pakistan because this is not the first time that Pakistan has lost its soldiers to NATO fire,” the foreign minister added.
While Pakistan would like to wait for a detailed investigation, the current briefings “seem to be pointing towards a direction which is not a happy case to be in,” the Khar elaborated in an answer to a question whether the NATO strike was deliberate.
“If it is a deliberate attempt, then the questions that I referred to would obviously be much, much, much more serious,” the foreign minister remarked.
“I’m not going to run to any conclusion and I hope that is not true, but the fact of the matter is that even if it is a mistake, it iss certainly a callous mistake because this did not happen over five minutes. This was into hours, for sure, and that leaves many, many unanswered questions,” she responded to another question.
She disagreed with the proposition that US assistance for Pakistan limits her country’s leverage in responding to such incidents and termed the notion of Pakistan’s dependence on US assistance as exaggeration.
“I would hope not because I think, you know, I like to call it the dependency syndrome. It’s over-exaggerated. I think we have to really get grips on what this relationship is really about. And for Pakistan, this relationship is not about aid and assistance. I think there are far too many much more important strategic goals and objectives that we wish to achieve,” Khar said.
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I think this govt should keep its words and stand with Pakistani nation and Army not with US – Its look like they are getting normal
We support you, we forgive for the past but now stand with Pakistani Awam and don’t look to your outside assets, if you still looking outside and ignore your people voice then your Anjam will not be different than Qaddafi
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The question of sovereignty is an extremely important one and this is not the first time.
And it won’t be for last time either!!!
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“…And for Pakistan, this relationship is not about aid and assistance. I think there are far too many much more important strategic goals and objectives that we wish to achieve….”
She has, succinctly, put forward, strategic goals that PK wants to achieve in Afghanistan, at all cost, short of going to war with USA. Worthwhile strategic goals that are meant to bring out positive change and peace for, at-least, the Pashtuns of the area and consequently to Pakistan. Pakistan has nothing to ashamed about either about their policy regarding Afghanistan or Kashmir. Any nation with weaker nerves would have collapsed. It is what it is – we are still standing.
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Its more of a case that Pakistan’s attitude and behaviour that has raised serious questions as to their conduct over past decade in their partnership in the War on Terror !!!
Then worry about pleasing the local crowd with all the BS statements!!
No doubt you will be in Germany soon !!
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Good time to test our anti aircraft and drone missiles on these bad boys. Our arm forces and public needs protection. We are not Red Indians and I think we should stop shooting hot red arrows. It might be good time to help people of Afganistan to protect themselves from these cow boys.
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“I think there are far too many much more important strategic goals and objectives that we wish to achieve”
Say Whaaatttt? Losing half the country and daily terror attacks is khaki’s “important strategic goals and objectives”??
Ms Khar please look at this news:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/300166/railways-suspend-10-more-trains-amidst-oil-and-diesel-shortage/
Pakistan Railways had to cancel 11 more passenger trains because we don’t have enough diesel to run it!!! And you and khakis are worried about the “great game” and wants to take on USA and NATO?? It would be very funny if not so sad and pathetic.Recommend
“I think the questions raised in Pakistan are much larger than whether we will participate in the investigation or not. I want to emphasise on the fact that this is not an isolated incident,”
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Why in the World would you not want to be involved in an investigation to determine the facts? I suspect that Pakistan knows that they don’t have clean hands on this dispute and do not want to have to be associated with a report which will probably prove that. It’s unfortunate that political and military leaders are quick to vilify the USA before the facts are known and they may now find “facts” to be awkward. Recommend
NATO attacks have raised serious questions…which we cannot answer . We were just finalizing the scripts for Huqqani’s Memo-gate while we got landed with another fiasco to deal with in the form of raid from NATO.
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“If it is a deliberate attempt, then the questions that I referred to would obviously be much, much, much more serious,” the foreign minister remarked.
The FM says ‘if ‘ it is a deliberate attempt whereas the DGMO is making an unqualified assertion that it WAS in fact a deliberate atempt. Whythe inconsistency?
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Has anyone in Pakistan ask the question of what NATO has to gain from all of this? That is such a basic question I’m completely dumfounded that no one see’s it? Really fellas?
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As long as Pakistan state supports militant groups like LeT, Afghan tALEBAN against India and Afganistan, Pakistan will continue to sink.
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Stand with Pakistan.
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The minister speaks of the nations territorial integrity as a secret cow and no foreign forces should cross the so called red line wearing their uniform. They would instead allow one to cross the line wearing salwar and kurtha and turban weather they be regulars or proxy as they have been doing for the past fourty or so years into Indian held Kashmir and for the past ten years into Afganistan. They have yet to claim the bodies of the Pakistani soldiers who wore the salwar and kurtha and were killed in Kargil so that the families of those soldiers could have closure.
. When NATO and US forces are killed by your insurgents it is fine, and you give lip service, But some of yours die the mountain comes tumbling down. The dagger is always double edged.
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May Jesus bring our leadership into his fold and make them stand firm against this godless nation(America). Amen!
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As mentioned alreaady that this is not first time; so we should stood fast to overcome problem. We shulod show a long term consisitency ove our theme to defeet them otherwise we will lose it as in privious attacks.Recommend
If you look at Pakistan’s GDP share in the World, its poverty, its Security issues, its Budget Deficit issues, its Foreign reserves problem and whatnot, the tone the Minister is taking somehow doesn’t suit.
The issue of sovereignty especially coming when Pakistan did not think twice before sending Terrorists into India and Afghanistan. Now, the tables have turned suddenly sovereignty is a big thing.
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It is not a question of misunderstanding or whatever for killing the soldiers. Please reminded, Pakistan is not at war with Afghanistan, NATO or the US and thus its border post should never be attacked at all.
It is up to NATO and the US to make amend and guarantee the respect of Pakistan’s sovereignty. If the sovereignty violation and the killing of soldiers are not fully addressed satisfactorily and stopped once and for all, Pakistanis will have no choice, but to stand firm and united to defend its territory without questions.Recommend
India deserves all the terrorists and freedom fighters. With armed rebellion in nearly every state, it shows that Indians are sick and tired of the ruling nexus of brahman controlled religio-corporate-political mafia. Indian army is one of the main causes of this disenfranchisement and their excesses and human rights record is the worst in the world. PLEASE HELP US FREE INDIA FROM BIGOTRY.
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@Hedgefunder:
If you hate us so much …. then buzz off !!!
Go watch your Fox News channel.
Haterrrrr
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@BruteForce:
A time comes when enough is enough !!!
So be ready for even harsher statements and actions !!!
Pakistan …. the real Asian Tiger will rise !!!
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People of Pakistan are interested in answers madam and not questions.
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@Stephen Real:
You are opening a can of worms that will give rise to thoughts that can easily be ignored to conspiracy theories. But therein lies the truth.
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@Texan:
Running a nation, building an economy and gaining power is not a Child’s game. It requires stability, hardwork, principles, structure and above all dream to succeed as opposed to dream to pull someone down(like Pakistan does with India).
Pakistan has had none of this in the past 65 years, what makes you think it will get it in the next 65?
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@ proud christian , Is America a god less nation ? ..But there every presidential candidate is proclaiming more religious than the other to woo the american public votes..So you need to “seek the truth ” as bible says ..Also only in pakistan patriotism is mixed with religious feeling and just be careful not to proclaim whom you believe as god as your majority fellow folks might use the law at you ..
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This incidence appears to be an attempt of terrorists to divert the attention of pakistan from its determination to eliminate the terrorists from this region .Don’t get traped in it . BE CAREFUL TO SAVE THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY ,
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Brute Force @ If I am not wrong it was in 1979 that these so called terrorists/Taliban were established/organised in to a force to fight the U.S.S.R who had invaded Afghanistan. At the instructions of the U.S. many other countries including the U.S. not only supported in organizing these groups but also paid handsome amount to these groups to fight a proxy war on their behalf.
These are the same group of people who are now fighting with the U.S.
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@Saleem Siddiqui:
You can say the same thing about Pakistan too.
Musharaff made deals with TTP in SWAT and they turned on the state. The difference between is USA doesn’t gamble with the lives of their own citizens, Pakistani doesn’t hesitate to.
Remember, the most important catalyst for the Mujahideens were Pakistani support, in particular of the ISI. CIA merely funded them and gave them weapons, Pakistan had to do the dirty work.
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Yes ! the very serious question is that, your million plus Armed Forces simply lack basics of managing or protecting your domain !!!!
This is the unit which chews up majority of Nation’s income and resources under pretence of being guardians of the sovereignty, while majority of population suffer from basic day to day needs !!!
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