Pakistan

Unilateral action will have dire consequences: Pakistan

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir says no Taliban safe havens in Pakistan.

Express May 24, 2011

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir has warned of dire consequences of any unilateral operation on Pakistani soil in future.

The remarks come weeks after US commandos killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a top-secret operation in Abbottabad. The operation immensely hurt the credibility of Pakistan’s army and further strained an already-murky relation between the US and Pakistan.

According to Afghan television TOLOnews, Salman Bashir told a news conference in Kabul that the launch of operations in Pakistan without coordination with Islamabad was against international laws. The fight against terrorism should be based on international laws and in a partnership approach, Bashir said and called on the United States to respect international laws.

“What is appropriate in the pursuit of policies on counterterrorism is partnership approach. In fact, it’s Pakistan that has contributed more in any way in this regard,” he said.

He accepted the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan, but said that it didn’t mean Pakistan has provided them with safe havens.

“The fact is that nearly every key al Qaeda operative was arrested in Pakistan from one or the other urban centres of Pakistan,” he said. “You know the history of the dispersal of the Taliban and of the al Qaeda, I don’t have to repeat that in Kabul, but that is the reality. And that is a reality because we are close neighbours. We have common borders.”

Bashir said now is the time Afghanistan and Pakistan step up talks focused on improvement in security, economy and social aspects.

He is expected to represent Pakistan in trilateral talk between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States which is due to be held soon.

The top Pakistani diplomat also carries a special message from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (24)

Dr.A.K.Tewari | 13 years ago | Reply Musarraf is a patriotic Pakistani , who paved the way for the transformation of Pakistan in to a secular.democretic and modern country through RED STAR operation .He is still a great leader of Pakistan .

mussarat | 13 years ago | Reply @VGM: More than one hundred percent correct. Mussarat

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

G.A. | 13 years ago | Reply This time we may have less or no friends among the so called contemporary world powers but this does not mean to turn a blind eye to our reality, identity and the very being as Muslims. In fact our enemies knows what we can mean for them better than us, thats why they are scared to the extent that they are working hypocritically to destabilize us in the name of war against terror. Surely, Pakistan should stand unitedly to this whole bunch of under cover enemies, whom all of us know well!

Pakistan Zindabad | 13 years ago | Reply I feel sorry for my Pakistani brothers/sisters. They should by now understand that the very existence of Pakistan is threatened by Taliban, Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. India is not your enemy, but these groups are. These so called 'Security Analysts' are doing nothing but instigating common people by blaming everything on India and thereby covering the failures of establishments It's very sad, that selfish rulers of Pakistan has put the country and the countrymen in such a vulnerable state. I am an Indian and I love Pakistan as well. But Pakistan should get rid of the following if they have to make their country secure and safe place to live. a) Flush out all the terrorist organisations like LeT, JuD etc b) Monitor Madrassas (install CC TVs to check what kind of teachings kids get) b) Disband all the terrorist camps from its soil d) Put hard liners in Jail e) Stop encouraging people like Zaki ur Rehman and Hafeez Sayeed who hold speeches on Pakistani streets spreading venom against India, US etc f) Overcome India obsession, offer hand of friendship. g) Don't over depend on China (Chinese are biggest Gaddars-back stabbers) h) Take help from USA/India to flush out each and every terrorist. i) Start afresh (find out your strengths in Exports) j) Show Kayani his 'place'. His job is to protect army bases and not interfere with the democratic governments functioning. k) Genuinely take action against 26.11 terrorists. I am more than sure if the above things are done with passion and diligence, Pakistan will be a great country of future.. (correct me if I am wrong here).

mind control | 13 years ago | Reply Mr Foreign Secretary, Sir, Will the consequences be more dire than they were at PNS Mehran, where as many as 16 out of the reported 20 violators of your sovereignty got away unscathed.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Most of the comments here are childish. We have to understand the big picture...the big idea of secret powers of the world that are controlling USA, UK, EU, these forces are Godless..they are powerful and they are mentioned by Allah in Quran. We need to go back to our roots, we need to study Quran and Hadith about the times we are living in. Unless and until we as muslims no matter from Pakistan Armed Forces, or Arab League or from so called Taliban, AlQaeda don't realize the times we are living in we will do nothing but play in hands of these secret powers. Have we ever thought that only MUSLIMS are being killed. Muslims being killed by mulsims...the one who is killed doesn't know why is he killed and the one who is killing doesn't know why is he killing. These times are mentioned in Quran, they have to unfold, we can't avoid this time, what we can do is to go back to our roots, go back to Quran. Read it understand it and ponder on it. We will find the way out. We will find the relevant Ahadiths of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) CLEARLY pointing out to these times and the solution that we MUSLIMS should resort to. I just suggest all readers here to Read Surat-e-Kahaf with translation on every Friday. Our Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) advised all muslims to learn the first 9 ayats of this surah by heart and to read this surah every FRIDAY. Allah knows the best....

Mr suicide | 13 years ago | Reply @VGM: Actually you are wrong about that recently china said to america,"any attack on Pakistan will be considered an attack on china'.Plus the american people are sick of war and their dying economy so a war against a nuclear power(or possibly even two out which one is its biggest creditor) is unlikely to happen. Plus another attack and Pakistan can just close down the supply line and the air bases.

Khawaja | 13 years ago | Reply Loved the satire!

RizwanTKhan | 13 years ago | Reply This time the nation should attack these forces. Forget our govt. We as citizens have the equal responsibility to safe our motherland.

Mushtaq | 13 years ago | Reply The value the US places on the life a single US citizen is actually very well known throughout the world. I think before claiming that Pakistan would respond to unilateral attacks, which would almost always involve striking against human US soldiers, the government should take a smaller first step. Hit a drone. They dont have any humans in them. And you could show some ghairat and ask the US to cut the cost of the drone from the bills you are sending them.

VGM | 13 years ago | Reply Does he seriously think his words are going to scare the most advanced armed forces in the world!!! Obama has the backing on the American people after the last raid!!! So he wont care what Bashir says!!

Zulfiqar Haider | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan needs to be conscious of the consequences of playing a dual role in this war on terror. The government and the establishment must devise a strategy that eliminates terrorism and at the same time doesn’t strain its relationship with superpowers like US.

Umayr Masud | 13 years ago | Reply there is an uncanny resemblance of the foreign secretary with the naval chief .. even the last names match .. are they brothers?

chandran | 13 years ago | Reply what about the unilateral action of pakisthan taliban

Ba Ha | 13 years ago | Reply Wish the tribune had just avoided this story altogether. After the passive army we need not expose our passive foreign service.

Iftikhar-ur-Rehman | 13 years ago | Reply "BRAVE WORDS, In fact VERY BRAVE WORDS"

Naeem Siddiqui | 13 years ago | Reply MR. Bashir, Stop bigmouthing to big powers and tackle the threat within. Pakistan existance is being threatened and challenged by terrorists and Taliban not by US or India.

Karim | 13 years ago | Reply Ofcourse, what are the Civilians going to do in a Army Establishment? Is it a Museum or what to barge in & grope around? Its a high security and secretive place where defense equipment are stored. The useless civilians will come in and mess that up too, like most of the urban places in Karachi. Better keep them away or they will ruin the Army too. Lt Karim (R)

Karim | 13 years ago | Reply "Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir has warned of dire consequences of any unilateral operation on Pakistani soil in future." & the Dire Consequences are Condemnation and Dharna!! Karim

faraz | 13 years ago | Reply You will have to first detect the entry of US planes before shooting them down

tribuner | 13 years ago | Reply Mr Salman Bashir there are pakistanis living in the vicinity of terrorist training camps time and again pakistani media is exposed it how can you possibly deny it? How can a terrorist training camp with ammuniton and other explosives be fired and ISI doesn't know about it. It either means we are supporting it or not capable to dismantle it.

Chilli | 13 years ago | Reply Just joking..

R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply The Pak foreign secretary needs to elaborate what dire consequencesgoing to be so that the Americans and others think hundred times before taking any unilateral action.

shahid irfan | 13 years ago | Reply we should stop lying so much.There are thousands of safe havens for islamic fundamentalists in our country.Why do we think by repeating lies we can fool the world. The religious terrorists have state support.they have the media's support which always deflects blame away from them by misguiding public towards yahodi or hindu saazishein. when will our authorities that these religious barbarians are not our strategic assets but are our strategic liabilities,they have brought us to the point of total destruction. if we have to save pakistan we have to separate islam & the state.Allowing religion to interfere in every aspect of our lives has ruined this country.

Replying to X