Pakistan to fight war on terror on its own terms: Khar
Foreign minister says relationship between Pakistan and US will be restored after a mandate from the parliament.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan will fight the war on terrorism according to its own terms and conditions and not that of the US Congress, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Thursday.
Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House after the National Security Committee meeting, Khar said that she was confident because Pakistan did the internal re-evaluation that was needed. “[It] will not only strengthen the space within the country or give us ownership of our foreign policy… but it will also strengthen the partnership that we pursue with any other country.”
The foreign minister added that the relationship between Pakistan and the US is on hold and it will be restored on a ‘clearly defined mandate’ from the parliament. “It will be a partnership which has less gray areas, which has a clear mandate of the public and parliament of Pakistan; and therefore, we will be able to pursue this partnership much more vigorously,” she added.
An envoys conference was recently held in Islamabad to review the foreign policy of the country, where the foreign minister said that Pakistan does not wish to ruin its relationship with the US or engage in any war. The recommendations formulated during the conference were put forward before the National Security Committee today.
The foreign minister also said that Pakistan should not be bothered by the cut in the US aid.
A legislation, recently passed by the US House of Representatives, froze roughly $700 million in aid to Pakistan pending assurances that Islamabad has taken steps to thwart militants who use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against US-led forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan will fight the war on terrorism according to its own terms and conditions and not that of the US Congress, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Thursday.
Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House after the National Security Committee meeting, Khar said that she was confident because Pakistan did the internal re-evaluation that was needed. “[It] will not only strengthen the space within the country or give us ownership of our foreign policy… but it will also strengthen the partnership that we pursue with any other country.”
The foreign minister added that the relationship between Pakistan and the US is on hold and it will be restored on a ‘clearly defined mandate’ from the parliament. “It will be a partnership which has less gray areas, which has a clear mandate of the public and parliament of Pakistan; and therefore, we will be able to pursue this partnership much more vigorously,” she added.
An envoys conference was recently held in Islamabad to review the foreign policy of the country, where the foreign minister said that Pakistan does not wish to ruin its relationship with the US or engage in any war. The recommendations formulated during the conference were put forward before the National Security Committee today.
The foreign minister also said that Pakistan should not be bothered by the cut in the US aid.
A legislation, recently passed by the US House of Representatives, froze roughly $700 million in aid to Pakistan pending assurances that Islamabad has taken steps to thwart militants who use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against US-led forces in Afghanistan.