Panetta’s remarks: Sherry, Mushahid lament US attitude
Sherry Rehman terms as 'unhelpful' the latest remarks by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta.
WASHINGTON:
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman on Friday termed as “unhelpful” the latest remarks by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, in which he censured Islamabad’s failure to tackle military safe havens in its territory.
“This kind of a public message from a senior member of the US administration will be taken very seriously in Pakistan, and reduces the space for narrowing our bilateral differences at a critical time in negotiations,” Sherry said.
“It adds an unhelpful twist to the process and leaves little oxygen for those of us seeking to break the stalemate,” she added. Meanwhile, Senator Mushahid Hussain also criticised Panetta’s comments. Talking to the media outside parliament, he said that Panetta’s statement was a reflection of “imperial arrogance” as well as a failure to accept responsibility for Washington’s own failures.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2012.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman on Friday termed as “unhelpful” the latest remarks by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, in which he censured Islamabad’s failure to tackle military safe havens in its territory.
“This kind of a public message from a senior member of the US administration will be taken very seriously in Pakistan, and reduces the space for narrowing our bilateral differences at a critical time in negotiations,” Sherry said.
“It adds an unhelpful twist to the process and leaves little oxygen for those of us seeking to break the stalemate,” she added. Meanwhile, Senator Mushahid Hussain also criticised Panetta’s comments. Talking to the media outside parliament, he said that Panetta’s statement was a reflection of “imperial arrogance” as well as a failure to accept responsibility for Washington’s own failures.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2012.