Meeting with CENTCOM chief: PM House glosses over US critique of terror fight

Gen Votel urges Pakistan to ensure its soil is not used against neighbours

ISLAMABAD: The Donald Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on Pakistan to make sure its soil is not used to plan and conduct terrorist attacks against its neighbours – a charge often levelled by India and Afghanistan. This may include labeling Pakistan a state sponsor of terror.

The renewed pressure came three days after the United States designated Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM), an umbrella of indigenous Kashmiri separatist militant groups, a global terrorist out in a move that drew a sharp rebuke from Islamabad.

Saturday’s message was conveyed by US Central Command Commander General Joseph L Votel, who called on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi before concluding his two-day Pakistan visit.

According to an official statement from the Prime Minister Office, all went well in the meeting, but the US Embassy in Islamabad gave a different view. “In his [general’s] discussions with Pakistani leaders, he emphasised that all parties must work to ensure that Pakistani soil is not used to plan or conduct terrorist attacks against its neighbours,” it said in a statement.



Meanwhile, Trump’s meetings with his top military advisers at Camp David bore even more ominous signs, with one of the harder proposals suggesting that the US begin a review of whether to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism if it does not pursues senior leaders of the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, US officials said. Such a designation would trigger harsh US sanctions, including a ban on arms sales and an end to US economic assistance.

Centcom meeting

Gen Votel’s meeting came a day after his interaction with army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who told the Centcom chief that Pakistan wanted acknowledgement of its counterterrorism efforts, not financial and material assistance from Washington.

The United States has bought the Indian claim that the HuM has been behind a separatist insurgency in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. In June, Washington declared HuM chief Syed Salahuddin a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, while his group was blacklisted on Wednesday.

Pakistan was disappointed by the US move because it says that HuM is an indigenous group fighting the Indian rule in IOK. “Declaring organisations or groups supporting the freedom struggle in Kashmir as terrorist outfits is completely unjustified,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria told a weekly news briefing on Thursday.

Premier Abbasi also raked up the matter in his discussion with Gen Votel. He referred to the “unacceptable situation of human rights in IOK, where a very large Indian military presence was used for the oppression of the innocent Kashmiri people, who only sought the realisation of their right to self-determination,” he said, according to his office.



Abbasi also underscored that Pakistan had an important stake in peace and stability in Afghanistan as Pakistan has suffered the most due to the conflict in that country.

“Pakistan is committed to its support for the Afghan people. This has been in evidence over decades including through the presence of more than five million refugees for over three decades,” he said.

“Pakistan continues to support the Afghan government and society in many ways, including scholarships for Afghan students and infrastructural development,” he said, and expressed concern about the presence of the ultra-extremist Da’ish militant group in Afghanistan, “which could threaten all its neighbours.”

Pakistan has suffered the most – both in men and material – since the current wave of terrorism swept across the world. However, it has been unable to make the world believe that it is the worst sufferer, and not sponsor, of terrorism.

Defence analyst Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi says the international community, and the US in particular, is not willing to buy Pakistan’s stance.



“They are convinced that Pakistan supports the Afghan Taliban [who are feeding the insurgency there]. We deny any links with the Afghan Taliban, but no one believes this outside the Pakistani government, what to speak of the international community,” he told The Express Tribune.

“Pakistan’s foreign policy is unrealistic since it has not succeeded in addressing the concerns of the international community regarding terrorism,” Dr Rizvi said. “Pakistan needs to emphasise that the Afghan Taliban are not only a challenge to Afghanistan, but also to Pakistan,” he added. “We are not ready to accept that the presence of Afghan Taliban in Pakistan which compounds our problems.”

Earlier on Saturday, a US military delegation headed by Gen Votel visited North Waziristan Agency, a region that was under the virtual rule of a potpourri of local and foreign terrorist groups until 2014, when they were routed in Zarb-e-Azb military operation.

The delegation was briefed about Pakistan Army operations in Waziristan and the Pak-Afghan border security mechanism through enhanced surveillance measures, according to ISPR. “The delegation was also briefed about progress on socioeconomic development [in the region], including the return of temporarily displaced persons (TDPs).



The US military delegation appreciated efforts and sacrifices of Pakistan Army and local tribes for re-establishing peace and order in the area. He also realised the importance of Pak-Afghan bilateral border security coordination. Later, the delegation visited Army Public School, Miramshah and interacted with students.

The US Embassy statement said, “This [Gen Votel’s] visit allowed the general to gain an increased understanding of the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts the Pakistani government has made over the years to achieve our shared objectives.”

It quoted Gen Votel as having said that the “military cooperation, and even stronger cooperation with Pakistan, is very important, and we deeply appreciate the hospitality and willingness to continue an honest and open relationship.  We are extraordinarily pleased to continue these enduring relationships”.

Gen Votel, according to the PM Office, underscored the importance that the US attaches to Pakistan and Pakistan's importance for achieving the objective of peace and security in Afghanistan. He greatly appreciated the efforts being undertaken by Pakistan in fighting terrorism.

Pakistan, US remain committed to expanding ties

“The prime minister agreed with General Votel on the importance of working closely to address issues of regional concerns. The prime minister also underscored that the South Asian review undertaken by the US would take into account Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism and its commitment to peace and security in Afghanistan.”

During their visit, General Votel and the delegation met PM Abbasi, Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, and army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.  Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua were also present during delegation’s meeting with the PM.
[With additional input from Reuters]