Pakistan

Civil-military leadership rejects New Delhi stance

Will not fall into Indian trap of restricting agenda only to terror

Abdul Manan August 22, 2015

PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD:

The civil and military leadership on Friday decided not to accept the Indian demand to keep the proposed national security advisers (NSA) meeting in New Delhi limited to the issue of terrorism and resolved that the talks should include all bilateral disputes, including that of Kashmir.

According to the PM House, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the country. The meeting also deliberated various aspects of internal security and discussed implementation of the National Action Plan, the statement said.

The meeting was attended by army chief General Raheel Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Adviser to PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, and Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi.

According to sources, the leaders discussed India’s proposed agenda for the NSA meeting. In the agenda, India has advised Sartaj Aziz not to meet Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders and to remain focused on terror related issues.

Read: Regional Security: EU special rep lauds army sacrifices

The civil and military leadership resolved not to fall into the Indian trap to discuss only the issue of terrorism but said Islamabad should also broach all bilateral international disputes with New Delhi. They reiterated that Pakistan should adopt an aggressive approach with India on terrorism related issues and a give-and-take policy on international disputes.

The participants said India’s offensive approach towards Pakistan could only be countered by Pakistan’s aggressive approach on terrorism related issues as it could break the Indian mantra on terrorism and help pave way for talks on bilateral disputes.

It was agreed that Pakistan would take up all bilateral disputes including Kahsmir, Sir Creek and Siachen. It was decided that Pakistan will take up the issue of release of the Samjhota Express incident’s alleged mastermind to counter-balance the release of Mumbai attacks alleged mastermind, Zakiur Rehman.

The participants also agreed to highlight Indian involvement in Balcohsitan to counter Indian allegations of Pakistani involvement in the recent Gurdaspsur incident.

The participants also discussed India’s new offensive and its maneuvering in the region to form a new regional South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) by excluding Pakistan. The new regional Saarc will work under the main Saarc but will not include Pakistan.

Sources said Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and even Iran are with India and they might announce it soon. In view of the developing situation, the civil military leadership devised various options to counter the move.

Afghanistan peace talks

Sources said the civil and military leadership also discussed Afghan issue in detail. They noted that Pakistan is willing to help resume talks between Afghan Taliban and Afghan government but the Afghan government is not serious in talks particularly after the death of the Afghan Taliban supreme leader Mullah Muhammad Omar.

They also observed that the Taliban have intensified their attacks against Afghan government due to their internal rift and to reassert their power of resistance.

Operation in Shawal Valley

The civil and military leaders agreed that the initiation of ground offensive in Shawal Valley would satisfy the Afghan government which blames Pakistan for not taking action against Afghan Taliban sheltering in Pakistan.

Read: South China Sea tensions flare at Asia security talks

The military leadership informed civilian leadership that Shawal ground offensive is not the final phase of operation Zarb-e-Azb but the operation will continue against all types of terrorism.

Security in Punjab, Karachi

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif briefed the participants about security situation in Punjab in the wake of the killing of Punjab home minister Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada and vowed that all sectarian culprits will be apprehended.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2015.

COMMENTS (10)

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply Funny how all the indians here are jumping and acfusing pakistan for so many of their own faults. If the leadership wants to cancel the meeting, which is another joke, as nothing will be discussed in it, so be it. The fact that India has become so frustrated by the cpec threat is enoigh to understand that it will co tinue to agitate the entire region and try to turn it against the cpec's host, which is pakistan. Creating a new saarc? Seriously? What does that make you think. Trying to make a new regional association by excluding the one country that is already working on the regions biggest trade route says it all. At the end of day, intellectuals will understand the bigger picture and will wait years for the picture to come to life while people, wuch as above, continue to try and defame pakistan. Good luck with that. we will talk with you when cpec is ready. Toodles.

Appan | 8 years ago | Reply Fear of exposure and pressure from Army and Terrorists (Read Dawood Ibrahim, Syeed, LAkhwi et al) force the Government to raise Kashmir issue in the Agenda so that talks fail. Today's exposure of proof of presence of Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan (call record to his wife, her travel details to Dubai from Karachi ,etc are available on the net today-Ibrahim, who has three known Pakistani passports, has two more residential addresses (6A, Khayaban Tanzeem, Phase 5, Defence Housing Area and Moin Palace, II floor, Near Abdullah Shah Ghazi Dargah, Clifton in Karachi.) Dawwod is declared as a fugitive and a wanted Terrorist by Interpol. ISI is so incompetent that it could not hide his presence properly. Pakistan shall oust ISI chief for his incompetence. Nobody will be surprised if the talks get cancelled. Pakistan has been bluffing all along and the whole world is laughing at it. Will some Statesman emerge from Pakistan who could call the shots and mend the starined relationship for the betterment of both countries? I pray GOD. )

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Vectra | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan call for hurriyat,trying to distort Ufa agenda,Commonwealth shifting,India's toughening of stance,US withholding $300 million,Afganistan blaming pakistan for taliban,UEA strong support to India and critical wording in joint statements are all nothing because of pakistans useless ego and overreaction.Pakistan overreacted hastily leading to cancellation to all events that it was supposed to engage.Overall a massive foreign policy failure.Everything happened within a span of 2 weeks.

Vectra | 8 years ago | Reply arrogance, ego, u turn, violation and complete disregard of Ufa joint statement and nothing else

Vectra | 8 years ago | Reply Dont shout,dont want talk then go ahead and cancel it,What are you waiting for.

abhi | 8 years ago | Reply What NSAs will discuss on Kashmir? May be how to stop infiltration from Pakistan.

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply NS&Co. only rejected India's stance because of pressure from the military whereas, NS's track record says the opposite.

Raju Indian | 8 years ago | Reply Cut out the farce in the "Civil-military" working - What the Civil leadership agreed to in Ufa (as is always the case in Pakistan) has been over-ruled. No guesses required to ascertain the wroth and value of civil leadership in Pakistan. What I fail to understand though is how the people are happy to see their elected leaders, and hence themselves, have no power in running the country. No other country in the world has this kind of sham except perhaps N. Korea.

Abacus | 8 years ago | Reply Next pakistan will insist that the DGMOs also discuss Composite Dialogue. The Sir Creek issue will be discussed by the Rangers and BSF. And if India play pakistan in cricket, the captains will have to discuss Siachen. Ridiculous!

just_someone | 8 years ago | Reply Great decision... India has been constantly causing problem through Afghanistan and in Baluchistan. No need to talk to them in such environment...

Replying to X