Senate adopts initial response to Trump’s regional policy statement

Includes enlisting country's sacrifices in war on terror, case against Mullah Fazlullah and other militants

ISLAMABAD: The Senate unanimously adopted on Wednesday the “Initial Response to the US President’s Afghan –South Asia Policy statement” formulated after two days of deliberations in the upper house.

Presenting America’s new policy pertaining to the war in Afghanistan, Trump had lambasted last week Pakistan for “harbouring agents of chaos, violence, and terror. The US, he added, could “no longer be silent about safe havens for terrorist organisations”.

The initial response comprises immediate and long term steps that must be taken by the government in the wake of Trump's remarks.

The first part directs the government to convey the concerns of Pakistan and its people to the United States, and bound the minister for foreign affairs to present a fact sheet to Washington to make them aware of country’s contributions and sacrifices in the ‘war against terror’.

The exact economic implications and a fact sheet on US assistance to Pakistan should also be immediately released portraying actual picture, it’s been decided.



The ‘What is to be done’ part mentions directions of putting forth a clear national narrative of Pakistan, and taking of  a regional and international diplomatic initiative to coordinate Pakistan’s response to the US President’s Afghan strategy in consultation with the friendly countries.

The resolution also notes that it should be highlighted at every forum that India cannot be net security provider in the South Asian region, given its belligerent relationship with all its neighbours, military escalation in Afghanistan, as desired by the United States.

Pakistan needs to make out a clear case that militants like Mullah Fazlullah and others hiding in Afghanistan operate against our soil, the resolution said, maintaining that there is need for a mutually acceptable verification mechanism to look into the allegations by both Pakistan and Afghanistan of cross-border violation.