Kabul trip: Haqqani threat neutralised, Islamabad assures Washington

Network’s fighters will not be allowed to return to North Waziristan: Dobbins.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistani leaders have offered assurances that the Haqqani Network poses no threat as the group has been expelled from North Waziristan following the military operation here, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins said in Kabul on Tuesday – a day after he met with senior Pakistani political and military leaders.

“Pakistani leaders also told me that the Haqqani network would never be allowed to return to North Waziristan. The group will not be permitted to operate in other area of Pakistan,” Dobbins said while peaking to the media at the US embassy in Kabul.

“I got the assurance from the Pakistani leaders during the talks that the Haqqani network has been expelled from North Waziristan.”

Dobbins seemed satisfied at the outcome of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has also been a longstanding demand to the Pakistani government by the US. However the US top military general in Afghanistan General Joseph Dunford says he still has “reservations about the overall effectiveness of the army operations”.

General Dunford told lawmakers during a confirmation hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that Pakistani forces “certainly have not had the effect against the Haqqani network and others that we would want to have seen”.

Kabul also expressed reservations over the North Waziristan operation and the country’s foreign ministry says Pakistani forces “have not taken action against the Haqqani network”.

Dobbins also spoke about the deal brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry to resolve the election crisis in Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2014.