‘Overestimating India’: FO takes exception to Olson’s comment
Spokesman says ‘ground realities’ differ from US envoy’s ‘feelings’
US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad has challenged the assertion of a senior American presidential aide that Pakistan is ‘overestimating’ India’s role in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a think-tank in Washington this week, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson said he sometimes felt that “the degree of Indian influence on Afghanistan might be overestimated in Pakistan.”
Pakistan has apprised world capitals about arrest of Indian spy: FO
“I think we need to realise that ‘feeling’ is one thing and the ‘reality’ on ground is another,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in reaction to Olson’s remark on Thursday. “The ground reality is that we have arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav, which is a solid proof of Indian state involvement in terrorism in Pakistan as well as in terror financing,” he told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Zakaria also drew attention to former US defence secretary Chuck Hagel’s statement that India finances instability in Pakistan. “Then I will take you further back to 2009 when General Stanley A McCrystal also referred to this fact that India was causing and financing instability in Pakistan. These are realities. I leave it to you to decide how we should react in such a situation,” the spokesman argued.
Pak-Afghan border management
The spokesperson made it clear that Pakistan was constructing the structures at Torkham and elsewhere on its territory. “Unregulated cross-border movements provide opportunity for infiltration of terrorists and militants. Border management is a key element of Pakistan’s policy of combating terrorism and addressing the issue of militancy. We are determined to put in place effective border control on border crossings,” he said.
He said the cooperation of Afghan Government could play an important role in achieving this shared objective of promoting lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.
The spokesperson said the purpose of the recent visit by Afghan delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai was to discuss issues related to border management so as to avoid recurrence of incidents such as the unfortunate Torkham episode.
He said both sides agreed to have a mechanism. It was also agreed that both sides will brief their respective leadership and propose their meeting on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Tashkent to discuss the border management issues, among other things.
NSG membership
The spokesperson said Pakistan had been making efforts to muster support of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) members for entry into the club. “It has been our consistent position that the question of NSG membership for non-NPT states must be dealt with in accordance with a single, uniform, non-discriminatory and fair criteria,” he said.
Kulbushan Jadhav’s arrest proof India perpetrating terrorism inside Pakistan: FO
“Therefore, it is absolutely essential for NSG to consider the Indian and Pakistani applications simultaneously and in an even-handed manner. The applications of Pakistan and India cannot be considered in isolation from the goal of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia,” he stressed.
He further said Pakistan’s NSG membership would be in the interest of nuclear trading countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2016.
Islamabad has challenged the assertion of a senior American presidential aide that Pakistan is ‘overestimating’ India’s role in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a think-tank in Washington this week, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson said he sometimes felt that “the degree of Indian influence on Afghanistan might be overestimated in Pakistan.”
Pakistan has apprised world capitals about arrest of Indian spy: FO
“I think we need to realise that ‘feeling’ is one thing and the ‘reality’ on ground is another,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in reaction to Olson’s remark on Thursday. “The ground reality is that we have arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav, which is a solid proof of Indian state involvement in terrorism in Pakistan as well as in terror financing,” he told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Zakaria also drew attention to former US defence secretary Chuck Hagel’s statement that India finances instability in Pakistan. “Then I will take you further back to 2009 when General Stanley A McCrystal also referred to this fact that India was causing and financing instability in Pakistan. These are realities. I leave it to you to decide how we should react in such a situation,” the spokesman argued.
Pak-Afghan border management
The spokesperson made it clear that Pakistan was constructing the structures at Torkham and elsewhere on its territory. “Unregulated cross-border movements provide opportunity for infiltration of terrorists and militants. Border management is a key element of Pakistan’s policy of combating terrorism and addressing the issue of militancy. We are determined to put in place effective border control on border crossings,” he said.
He said the cooperation of Afghan Government could play an important role in achieving this shared objective of promoting lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.
The spokesperson said the purpose of the recent visit by Afghan delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai was to discuss issues related to border management so as to avoid recurrence of incidents such as the unfortunate Torkham episode.
He said both sides agreed to have a mechanism. It was also agreed that both sides will brief their respective leadership and propose their meeting on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Tashkent to discuss the border management issues, among other things.
NSG membership
The spokesperson said Pakistan had been making efforts to muster support of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) members for entry into the club. “It has been our consistent position that the question of NSG membership for non-NPT states must be dealt with in accordance with a single, uniform, non-discriminatory and fair criteria,” he said.
Kulbushan Jadhav’s arrest proof India perpetrating terrorism inside Pakistan: FO
“Therefore, it is absolutely essential for NSG to consider the Indian and Pakistani applications simultaneously and in an even-handed manner. The applications of Pakistan and India cannot be considered in isolation from the goal of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia,” he stressed.
He further said Pakistan’s NSG membership would be in the interest of nuclear trading countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2016.