Obama's prediction on Pakistan not rooted in ground realities: Sartaj

PM's senior aide says Pakistan is an unstable region but is determined to defeat terrorism and bring stability


Kamran Yousuf January 15, 2016
A file photo of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's senior aide Sartaj Aziz on Friday shunned aside US President Barack Obama's statement that Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to face instability and turmoil for decades.

"During his address, the US president did not single out Pakistan. He mentioned several regions, within which Pakistan and Afghanistan were also included," Aziz said. "Whatever the US president said about instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan are his predictions and have nothing to do with ground realities," he added.

Instability will continue in many parts of world, including Pakistan: Obama

"We are in an unstable region but we are determined to defeat terrorism and bring stability," the adviser told Chinese scholars, diplomats and reporters during a meeting in Islamabad.

In his final State of the Union address this week, US President Barack Obama said that instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world — in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia.

“Our foreign policy must be focused on the threat from ISIL and al Qaeda, but it can’t stop there. For even without ISIL, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world — in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia,” Obama declared.

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Disagreeing with Obama's address, Aziz said, "The government is taking effective steps to deal with challenges faced by the country at various levels."

COMMENTS (17)

Faisal basheer | 8 years ago | Reply Well fine that's his prediction like emd in Iraq so who takes USA seriously Coming to comments from my Indian friends the govt of India itself is doing state terrorism in Kashmir and Pakistan thru proxy war and electing a murderer as PM The should look into the mirror and see for themselves
Suraj | 8 years ago | Reply @Muneer: Spot on Muneer, haters gonna hate and their hated is the evidence that we indeed are heading in the right direction. Obama mentioned several regions, within which Pakistan and Afghanistan were also included and his predictions and have nothing to do with ground realities
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