Core group talks: No let-up in shelling militants, says Pakistan

Salman Bashir tells US, Afghan officials bombardment not directed at Afghan civilians.

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad has made it clear to Washington and Kabul that shelling on the Afghanistan-based militants from Pakistan would continue in the future, as it was necessary to counter terrorists who have been consistently attacking Pakistan’s security forces over the past weeks, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq told The Express Tribune.

Pakistan took this position at a Core Group Meeting with US special envoy Marc Grossman and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Javed Ludin in Kabul on Tuesday.

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir explained during the meeting that the bombardment was not directed at Afghan civilians.

A similar meeting between the US, Afghan and Pakistan security officials also took place at the Army Headquarters in Peshawar the same day, highly placed sources told The Express Tribune.

The officials were to discuss cross border strikes by Afghan militants and Pakistan’s retaliation operations.

Shelling by Pakistan on Afghan militants during the week has so far claimed several civilian lives besides a large number of miscreants who crossed over to Pakistan to attack its security forces.

Ambassador Sadiq was summoned by the Afghan ministry of foreign affairs last week to receive a demarche over the shelling which, according to the Afghan media, led to the deaths of several civilians, forcing others to flee their houses in Kunar and adjoining areas.

The recent shelling on Afghan villages by Pakistan’s security forces was not an intentional act on the part of its forces, Sadiq told the Afghan foreign minister.

“Several hundred civilians and security personnel were killed by Afghan militants who crossed over into Dir and Bajaur during the last few weeks, Sadiq said, adding “the armed lashkars from across the border targeted Pakistan’s security forces six times during the last three months”.

US-Taliban contacts

Ambassador Sadiq confirmed that Washington was in contact with the Taliban for reconciliation. However, he said that at present there was no discussion between the US and Afghan Taliban on reconciliation and transition.

“Washington was in contact with former Taliban spokesman Syed Agha,” he said, adding that they had held three meetings in the past in Qatar, Kandahar and Germany.

Contact with Syed Agha was arranged by Germany which is pleading for a negotiated settlement of the Afghan crisis. “We have learnt that both sides have exchanged terms and conditions for the talks,” Sadiq explained.

Regarding reports of talks between the UK and the Afghan Taliban, Sadiq said there were no such negotiations between the two parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2011.