Pakistan is seen as critical to bringing peace to neighbouring Afghanistan, but the United States has failed to persuade it to go after militant groups it says cross the border to attack Western forces in Afghanistan.
"This is not helping either the United States, Afghanistan or Pakistan," Salim Saifullah told Reuters.
"There will be pressure on the (Pakistan) government to get out of this war," he said, referring to the US war on militancy.
Obama warned Pakistan on Thursday that its ties with "unsavory characters" have put relations with the United States at risk, as he ratcheted up pressure on Islamabad to cut links with militants mounting attacks in Afghanistan.
He accused Pakistan's leaders of "hedging their bets" on Afghanistan's future, but stopped short of threatening to cut off US aid, despite calls from lawmakers for a tougher line over accusations that Pakistani intelligence supported strikes on U.S. targets in Afghanistan.
Saifullah said Washington's public criticism of Pakistan was counter-productive and would only create tensions between allies that would play into the hands of militant groups.
"War in Afghanistan is passing through a critical phase, evolutionary phase, at this stage muddying water is not appropriate," he said. "This is exactly what the militants want. They are playing to their tune. This is adding strength to them."
COMMENTS (42)
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@Fgafur: Well your govt does not say anything because it was part of the ones who created the problem. The soviets attacked, the americans responded as per the cold war and what did you do. You played into their hands for the dollars. Now the saying applies "Jaisi karni waisi bharni". And everyone seems to treat afghanistan like a tawahif. Its time people respected her integrity and sovereignity and allow her to grow rather than make use of her as a battle ground to prove their mardangi...
@Maoist: Keep dreaming alice.... You are locked in a deep hole deep inside the wonderland..
sniff sniff Smells like re-election campaign time, in the good old US of A.
Mr. Obama is a bought-and-paid-for puppet of the warmonger cabal.
Tells you all you want to know about the credibility of the so-called Nobel Peace Prize: he was given one in 2009!
The day Nato declares that 'we will stay as long as our objectives are achived' then fuse will go off on most commenters. 2014 is very far. Anything can happen in between.
@Maoist: is the background scenery in what you see happen to be padded walls by any chance?
@THA:
Let me make this as simple as I can so you may understand.
When your the only Super Power in the world, you can do a lot of things and when you are the biggest pariah of the world comparing yourselfe to the lone super power is not delusional, it is raging madness.
In other words, if the US sneezes hard, you will catch Flu.
Understand now.
...................
I'm failed to understand why Pakistani Leadership is not slapy reply to OBAMA???
Either Mr. OBAMA & team is right or we don't have the right LEADERSHIP.
I've not seen a single statement by our leadership denying or accepting it why??????
Our leadership is always crying like a child ... common guys be mature now.
Don't CIA & FBI have links with these militants ? why our leadership is not mentioning that " we have created these groups on your say/help" why they are not telling the international community the truth???????
MEDIA SHOULD HELP PLEASE...........
.............
Obama, in his re-election bid, cannot afford to be seen as a soft guy especially towards a country that has taken money and used that money to nurture the enemy of US.
There will be strident voices against Pak in the coming days and Obama will be forced to take some really tough measures such as sanctions before next Mar. Pakistani leadership should understand the ground realities in US and see the writing on the wall, and act keeping the interests of their citizens in mind.
Remember, if Pak plays the anti-Americanism card, the US can too play that game, by whipping up anti-Pak sentiments in US that will ultimately lead to isolation of Pak and economic ruin.
If Pakistani army still remains intransigent, then no force on earth can prevent the further balkanization of Pakistan before 2014.
Latest in the US's megaphone and bomb diplomacy, so distasteful, but a required show for the American public to cover up the Afghan failure. Luckily for the Americans Pakistan, everyone's convenient scapegoat, is there to be blamed. Stand up for yourself, Pakistan!
Pakistan seems to be so convinced that it is absolutely required to win the war in Afghanistan that it is unable to see beyond its nose and it is totally uninterested in the long term welfare of its own people. Pakistan only resorts to its usual 'denial' mode on any and everything. It can't accept that it could be actually be wrong as the entire world is saying.
@Maoist: I am sure China will help the maoists whole heartedly.
@Farhan: By God you think 40 years of patience was not enough.
About PAkistans so called alliance with US and current state of relations between the two the Words of Indian PM Mr. Bajpaee come to mind. He said," to remove one thorn(taliban) sometimes one(US) has to use another thorn(Pakistan)". Unfortunately that is what has happened exactly since after the fall of Taliban and ALqaeda there is no use left for PAkistan, that is why you see all this Pakistab bashing going on.
@Faisal: hahahahahaha......too good bro
"'Obama warning puts pressure on Pak to get out of war'"
But Marde Pakistan never succumbs to Pressure
@Maoist:
I know dreaming is good for health, but don't day dream.
@ashok sai:
militants refered to talibans....these talibans r not even humans...
wait n watch
Ever considered who will pay salaries for your soldiers, it there was no war on terror.
i feel tht beggars have never any option so just wait n watch ......as an atomic power the war is really meaningless end so b careful Mr obama
It is not Pakistan's war, so the sooner we get out of it the better. I see Pakistan getting out of the war very soon and India joining the war instead. I see Talibans declaring India their worst enemy (worse than US) and war will be waged in Indian cities. The violence that rocked Pakistan will look nothing compared to what India will go through. I see the Maoist revolutionaries joining hands with Taliban in their war against the corrupt Brahman mafia. We will liberate India and then will usher the era where all Indians will be equal and there will be social & economic justice and peace.
I think Pakistan should honorably quit now rather than suffer more humilation at the hands of US almost on daily basis.
These days, there is no difference in Obama and a Baby.
Reason: Both of these keep on crying but don't know why they are crying and what they want...
i think PK will either be pushed to get out of this war very soon & obviously will be awarded with the American economic sanctions OR some sense will prevail in DC & they will compromise on some important strategic terms of reference.... I would think that the earlier option will happen in the next six to nine months
Look whose saying whose own people don't like his policies.WARNING haha.....
US should show patience. Engage Pakistan and help democratic government. If US continue to encourage India in Afghanistan, it is obvious that Pakistan will react and start supporting Taliban in Afghanistan again.
This will lead to another civil war in Afghanistan and hence all the war against terror rhetoric boils down to one point: Instability in South Asia. Which is not is any one's interest.
You get out of war, you stop getting Aid, Sanctions will resume, no more loans from IMF and WB, trade embargoes might come. These are the soft steps US will take.
Pakistan was complaining and couldn't manage in the recent flooding that happened, as reported in this newspaper. So, please do not think Pakistan can even remotely prosper if that happens.
Obama only said dont allow Terrorists to use your soil. China, India and Iran say the same thing. There is nothing insulting about what he said, but should be insulting is the fact that he is actually true!
"“There will be pressure on the (Pakistan) government to get out of this war,” he said "
A thinly veiled threat to block the Karachi port to Afghanisatn route.
It also means the end of US aid from the same date.
It also means international sanctions against Pakistan and more intensive drones umbrella.
The focus will shift from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
Our government SHOULD THREATEN to get out of this war and then we'll see how meekly the US begs us to do what we want to do.
When they will learn it is about destabilizing Pakistan and nothing else. They are meeting their objective but are we doing enough to throw US out?
So let me get this straight. The US can have secret talks with Haqqanis and the Taliban (organizations that it helped set up in the first place), and if Pakistan, pursuing it's nationalistic interests does maintain contacts with such groups, then we are blamed and told to be hedging our bets on Afghanistan’s future, by a country that has created all this turmoil in the first place. The US just never learns.
This is just to distract everyone from the fact that today is the 10th anniversary of the war of Afghanistan, which has yielded no results, and in fact have taken US, Pakistan and Afghanistan 10 years behind from where they were in 2001. At least the Russians were humble and pulled out quietly without raising delusional cacophony.
Obama actually wants Pakistan to get out of this war. Obama thinks Pakistan is fighting the war from the wrong side.
"This is exactly what the militants want"
Can you please enlighten us, militants refers whom ?
"This is exactly what the militants want"
Can you please enlighten us, militants refers whom ?
Mr Obama why you are always forcing and pushing my country into war. Try to understand that war is not a solution to the conflict. You lost American soldiers and trillion of $ but still not even near to the logical ending of the war. ANTI AMERICANISM is their because you are the men with gun sir .......!!!!
If you are going to reply for a comment made by Obama, either it should be accept the accusation made by him (ties with Haqqanis) or to challenge (I won't use 'deny') accusation by taking credible steps.
This statement has nothing in those terms, simply crying, pathetic.