Aziz hits back at Obama over negative Pakistan forecast

Urges US to analyse its own role that led to instability in the region

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday hit back at United States President Barack Obama for his ‘prediction’ that Pakistan would remain in turmoil for decades.

During a debate in the upper house of parliament, the government urged the US to analyse its own role that led to instability in the region, and took the ‘prediction’ as a challenge.



The strong rejoinder came from Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz as he concluded a debate in the Senate on Obama’s January 12 State of the Union speech – where he mentioned Pakistan in the context of terrorism/extremism – on an adjournment motion of Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

The US president had said: “...instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, in parts of Central America, in Africa, and Asia. Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks. Others will just fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave of refugees.”

Aziz asked the Obama administration to ‘analyse US contribution to instability’ in the region while referring to the country’s policies, particularly during the Afghan war.

At the same time, he gave an account of policy changes introduced by the current Pakistani government and hoped to prove the US president wrong.

“I have no doubt that we shall tell President Obama that his predictions were not true,” said Aziz, and stressed the need of ‘national resolve’ for it. During the debate, several senators advised rejecting the statement, but the adviser said: “We must take it as a challenge.”



He mentioned military operations, particularly Zarb-e-Azb, and said they were yielding positive results. “Incidents of terrorism [blasts] have reduced by 50% due to intolerance against extremists.

“We are pursuing the policy of non-interference in other countries and that of peaceful neighbourhood, because of which our relations with India and Afghanistan have improved. Due to these policies the economy has started improving. Democracy is the best guarantee against instability.”

Though several senators made critical speeches, Lt Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) gave a reality check to the policymakers. “President Obama gave us a wakeup call and we should be thankful to him,” he said, adding: “We do have issues and need to look inward.” Tirmizi said that it was because of the flawed policies/interference in Afghanistan that the neighbouring country has not yet handed over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah.

He posed a set of serious questions: Is the National Action Plan being implemented with the same vigour? Are madrasas not getting foreign funding? Are terrorist organisations not operating? Has Fata been brought to the mainstream? Are we not making criminal-friendly laws?

PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar backed Tirmizi’s views and said that allowing ‘non-state actors’ to further their agenda had caused ‘instability’. “Are we still not supporting non-state actors?” He wondered how it was possible that JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar was addressing a book launch in Kashmir.



Sayed said choices made by the US in the past as well as the ongoing policies contributed to instability. PPP’s Taj Haider took the statement as a threat, and Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum of the PML-N and several others rejected it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.