John Kerry and Sartaj Aziz leave after a joint press conference. PHOTO: AFP
Amidst seething tensions with India punctuated by sporadic border skirmishes, a top Pakistani official on Tuesday called upon the United States to prevail upon New Delhi to work with Islamabad towards regional peace and economic prosperity.
As an ‘influential member’ of the international community, the US could prevail upon India to work with Pakistan towards regional peace and economic prosperity, Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said at a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was on a two-day visit to Pakistan for a second edition of the Pak-US Strategic Dialogue.
Aziz said Pakistan wanted a constructive, sustained and result-oriented dialogue with India on all issues of mutual concern. However, he made it clear that a dialogue with New Delhi sidestepping the Kashmir dispute was out of the question.
Kerry’s visit came on the heels of rising tensions between Pakistan and India due to frequent deadly clashes along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary. Pakistan also conveyed concerns to Kerry over India’s ‘dirty games’ and the use of Afghan soil by New Delhi to create unrest in the country.
While Secretary Kerry voiced concerns over the worsening ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, he refused to commit to any US role in de-escalating the situation. A Pakistani official, however, told The Express Tribune that the top US diplomat privately assured his counterparts in Islamabad that his country would take up the matter with India. The official, who didn’t want to be named, said that Kerry was given ‘compelling evidence’ of India’s role in stirring trouble in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s counter-terror operations
The top American diplomat acknowledged that Pakistan’s ongoing military operation in the tribal regions produced ‘significant results’, even as he urged Islamabad to do more in the fight against terror groups posing threat to the country’s neighbours and the world.
He said Pakistan deserved ‘enormous credit’ for the ongoing military operations in North Waziristan and elsewhere. “These operations have already produced significant results but make no mistake that this task is difficult one and it is not done,” Kerry cautioned, adding that all countries, including the US, must deal with terrorist groups effectively.
“Terror groups like the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups continue to pose a threat not only to Pakistan but to its neighbours, to the United States and to the world,” he added.
Aziz, on his part, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism in all forms and manifestations. “As far as the Haqqani Network is concerned, its infrastructure is totally destroyed after the North Waziristan operation,” he added.
US aid
The US will continue to support Pakistan in its fight against terrorism and other challenges, Kerry said, while announcing $250 million in food, shelter and other assistance to help those displaced by the military operations in the tribal areas.
Aziz expressed hope that US financial assistance would continue as Pakistan is engaged in a counter-terrorism operation. “We expect our defence forces to remain engaged in counter-terrorism operations for some time in the foreseeable future,” he added. “Continuation of Coalition Support Fund reimbursements are therefore a valuable support that must continue in the interests of both countries.”
Kerry visits GHQ
Secretary Kerry also visited the GHQ in Rawalpindi where he met army chief General Raheel Sharif. The military said in a statement that Kerry paid tribute to the security forces for their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He was schedule to pay a brief visit to Peshawar’s Army Public School but it was cancelled due to bad weather.
Joint statement
Kerry and Aziz also co-chaired the Strategic Dialogue at the Foreign Office on Tuesday where they reviewed the progress achieved in several working groups to advance bilateral cooperation.
A joint statement issued after the dialogue said Aziz and Kerry held wide-ranging discussions on sustaining and further building the momentum in bilateral cooperation.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to an enduring partnership between Pakistan and the United States, which is vital for regional security and stability. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue for providing vision and direction for a strong and cooperative partnership between the two countries.
They expressed satisfaction that the working groups constituted under the rubric of the Strategic Dialogue contribute to strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing shared interests, including in Pakistan’s economic growth, increased trade and energy cooperation, regional stability, and countering extremism and terrorism.
They also acknowledged the importance of ongoing cooperation through assistance authorised under the ‘Kerry-Lugar-Berman’ Act.
Defence and security cooperation
Secretary Kerry and Adviser Aziz agreed that US security assistance has been effective and well deployed to assist Pakistan in its counter-terrorism efforts. Both sides expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the 23rd round of the Defence Consultative Group (DCG) held in Washington in December 2014 and committed to areas for future defence cooperation.
They noted that the DCG working group played a role in strengthening cooperation to support both countries’ security interests. Both sides renewed their mutual commitment to a strong defence relationship.
Regional cooperation
Kerry and Aziz noted that a peaceful, stable, independent, united and prosperous Afghanistan is vital for peace and stability in the region. Kerry welcomed the renewed and intensified engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, including President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Pakistan.
Secretary Kerry encouraged continued dialogue and cooperation between both sides, recognising the importance of cooperation to the stability of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the broader region.
Both delegations recognised that an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process is vital for achieving long-term peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan and the region. They welcomed the call by the new Afghan government to the Afghan Taliban and all armed opposition groups to resolve differences through political means.
Aziz reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to facilitate the efforts of the Afghan government for peace and reconciliation. “Our commitment to Afghanistan not to allow our territory to be used against any other country would not have been possible unless we had undertaken the ongoing military operations,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2015.
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Now that India has decided how to tackle the Nuclear blackmail by Pakistan ... India is just reacting the way she should when the nuclear bombs were not existing ... In short India is taking Pakistan head on ... Daring Pakistan to use one on India .. and then ... There will be no one left in Pakistan to write about the History .....
The recent LOC firings and border skirmishes is actually the demonstration of Modi's belligerent policies towards Pakistan. These border skirmishes are actually adding fuel to the fire. Despite of the fact that regional strategic environment of South Asia is predominated by the very policies and attitudes of Pakistan and India towards each other, India is determined to make the region vulnerable and to drag in to a position where a war like situation can be prevailed. US being a sincere friend of India can better guide India to maintain relations with its immediate and ultimate neighbors by starting peace talks and dialogue processes.
@khumar: No one knows why India is competing for the title of a rouge state
Maybe India should compete for a lipstick state
.....Kerry was given ‘compelling evidence’ of India’s role in stirring trouble in Pakistan. Was it more compelling than the evidence that US already has of Pakistan doing tango with Haqqanis while NATO forces were fighting them?
In pursuit of its hegemonic ambitions, India has been actively involved in maligning Pakistan regionally and globally. It's also following coercive diplomacy in order to deter regional adversaries like Pakistan. Off course Indian conventional aggressive attitude is creating threat for regional stability and aggression exist in its instincts. No one knows why India is competing for the title of a rouge state. India’s past actions, current stature and future plans are all the depiction of its cruel intentions. It's important for Global powers to bring India on talk table for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
washington can never prevail over new delhi... wake up and smell the coffee.
“Terror groups like the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups continue to pose a threat not only to Pakistan but to its neighbours, to the United States and to the world,” he added.
No mention of Kashmir and India posing a threat to Pakistan.
This news item is so pathetic to the point of being embarrassing. Mr. Aziz is pleading with the US to broker a peace deal with India while arrogantly laying out conditions for peace such as Kashmir etc. After all these years of living on this planet, hasn't Mr.Aziz learnt anything about self respect? He appears to be one old, pathetic, broken, bitter man!
what does it mean by persuade India? If India is not compelled does it mean Pak will continue ceasefire violations?
first pak has to stop support to terrorist and create the right environment for talks
The US has not wavered in its position on Kashmir with India from day one. The last thing the US want is to tell India what to do with PAK. The US wants India to send in military personnel assistance to Afg but India refused. This is still an issue, but india knows the neighborhood well. Instead, all Afg civil and military personnel institutions, from police through diplomats are trained in India and India has put in lot of money and her people in Afg reconstruction.
So, does any one think India and US will disprut the ongoing role. What is urged in these meetings is that they want PAK to stop the guys meddling in Afg affairs. At this stage, the focus is on Afg and not PAK and it will be so for another 12 years. That is three us presidential terms and three Sec of state, not counting the remaining two years of Mr. Kerry.