Strategic dialogue with US: Pakistan set to choke terror funding, says Aziz

Foreign affairs adviser says Rs1b worth of accounts frozen

WASHINGTON:

Pakistan is taking measures to choke terrorist funding, and so far accounts worth a billion rupees have been frozen, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.

Speaking at the 6th Ministerial Review of Pak-US Strategic Dialogue Process in Washington DC, Aziz said Pakistan is determined to deny space to any terrorist group to plan and launch violent activities from its soil.



He said Pakistan has rendered huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, and the country’s resolve to finish and win this fight remains unshakable.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had kicked off the round of strategic talks by hailing Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary on honour killings.

He welcomed Aziz to the State Department for what he said would be ‘frank and very important talks’ on development, nuclear arms and security.

After their opening remarks, the officials went into a closed session to discuss cooperation in the energy sector, the fight against extremist groups, and nuclear safety and non-proliferation in the light of Pakistan’s tense relations with India.

“Our strategy to eliminate terrorist networks and defeat their extremist ideology is all-encompassing,” said Aziz. Regarding priorities of the National Action Plan, the adviser said the government is taking all necessary measures to launch intelligence-based operations and choke the funding sources of terrorist organisations.



He thanked Kerry for his recent positive testimony in Capitol Hill and appreciated the public assessment of the US leadership in response to Congressional inquiries that Pakistan has effectively used F-16s against terrorists in the region. “The prospective sale of F-16s will strengthen Pakistan’s capabilities to successfully continue these vital operations for our mutual benefit and stability in the region.”

Aziz proposed various elements that he said could be considered for charting out the way forward towards an enduring and multifaceted relationship between Pakistan and the US.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2016.