Talking points with India: Civil-military huddle crafts talks’ strategy
Agree to use a give-and-take approach on bilateral disputes.
Premier Nawaz meets Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif at the Prime Minister House. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Finalising a strategy for the upcoming national security advisers (NSA) interaction between Pakistan and its arch rival India, the top civil and military leadership has agreed to adopt an aggressive stance on terrorism related issues but a give-and-take approach on bilateral disputes.
The NSA meeting will be held on August 23 in New Delhi.
Army chief General Raheel Sharif and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General Lt General Rizwan Akhtar called on the premier on Tuesday to discuss and finalise the upcoming visit of the Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
According to the PM House, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sartaj Aziz and the PM’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi also attended the meeting, in which matters related to ‘internal security situation’ were discussed.
Sources in the federal government said the prime minister – who held hours long meeting with his aides on Monday to discuss the agenda of the upcoming NSA meeting in New Delhi – finalised the strategy by getting input from the military leadership.
Sources said the military leaders proposed to adopt an aggressive approach with India on terrorism related issues and a give-and-take approach on bilateral international disputes.
They said that by adopting an aggressive approach on terrorism, Pakistan can dispel the Indian mantra to discuss only terrorism related issues and can move on to broach the international disputes.
It was proposed that Aziz should take up the issue of the release of Samjhota Express incident’s mastermind, India’s involvement in Balochistan and Afghanistan and its violation of ceasefire at the Line of Control and the working boundary.
The meeting also agreed that the outcome of the NSA’s meeting should not be ambiguous or one-sided but rather they should send a clear message to all stakeholders.
Sources said the prime minister was of the view that Aziz’s meeting should be taken as a prelude to resumption of composite dialogue between the two hyphenated but hostile neighbours.
The premier also expressed apprehension that if Pakistan adopted an aggressive approach on terrorism then the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi might cancel his upcoming visit to Pakistan. Modi in his last month’s meeting with Nawaz in Russia accepted his invitation to come to Islamabad to attend the 19th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in 2016.
Sources said the majority of participants in the meeting asked Aziz to adopt a strategy, keeping in view the situation in New Delhi. They said the Foreign Office believed that all issues would be discussed after resumption of secretary level talks.
The participants also agreed that Pakistan’s approach on international disputes with India should be reciprocal. They said Sir Creek, Siachen and Kashmir issues should be discussed on give-and-take basis.
Issues of internal security
The participants also discussed the country’s internal security situation particularly the situation in Punjab after the assassination of Punjab Home Minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada. They said the high-profile killing was the result of a nexus between sectarian elements like Lashkir-e-Jhangvi and al Qaeda network.
The participants also discussed the possible threats to high profile personalities in Punjab and agreed to enhance intelligence coordination in order to counter terrorism in the province.
They, however, ruled out any link between the targeted killing of Shuja Khanzada and attack on Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Rashid Godil. They said that while Khanzada was targeted by sectarian terrorists, the aim behind attack on Godil was yet to be ascertained.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2015.
Finalising a strategy for the upcoming national security advisers (NSA) interaction between Pakistan and its arch rival India, the top civil and military leadership has agreed to adopt an aggressive stance on terrorism related issues but a give-and-take approach on bilateral disputes.
The NSA meeting will be held on August 23 in New Delhi.
Army chief General Raheel Sharif and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General Lt General Rizwan Akhtar called on the premier on Tuesday to discuss and finalise the upcoming visit of the Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
According to the PM House, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sartaj Aziz and the PM’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi also attended the meeting, in which matters related to ‘internal security situation’ were discussed.
Sources in the federal government said the prime minister – who held hours long meeting with his aides on Monday to discuss the agenda of the upcoming NSA meeting in New Delhi – finalised the strategy by getting input from the military leadership.
Sources said the military leaders proposed to adopt an aggressive approach with India on terrorism related issues and a give-and-take approach on bilateral international disputes.
They said that by adopting an aggressive approach on terrorism, Pakistan can dispel the Indian mantra to discuss only terrorism related issues and can move on to broach the international disputes.
It was proposed that Aziz should take up the issue of the release of Samjhota Express incident’s mastermind, India’s involvement in Balochistan and Afghanistan and its violation of ceasefire at the Line of Control and the working boundary.
The meeting also agreed that the outcome of the NSA’s meeting should not be ambiguous or one-sided but rather they should send a clear message to all stakeholders.
Sources said the prime minister was of the view that Aziz’s meeting should be taken as a prelude to resumption of composite dialogue between the two hyphenated but hostile neighbours.
The premier also expressed apprehension that if Pakistan adopted an aggressive approach on terrorism then the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi might cancel his upcoming visit to Pakistan. Modi in his last month’s meeting with Nawaz in Russia accepted his invitation to come to Islamabad to attend the 19th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in 2016.
Sources said the majority of participants in the meeting asked Aziz to adopt a strategy, keeping in view the situation in New Delhi. They said the Foreign Office believed that all issues would be discussed after resumption of secretary level talks.
The participants also agreed that Pakistan’s approach on international disputes with India should be reciprocal. They said Sir Creek, Siachen and Kashmir issues should be discussed on give-and-take basis.
Issues of internal security
The participants also discussed the country’s internal security situation particularly the situation in Punjab after the assassination of Punjab Home Minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada. They said the high-profile killing was the result of a nexus between sectarian elements like Lashkir-e-Jhangvi and al Qaeda network.
The participants also discussed the possible threats to high profile personalities in Punjab and agreed to enhance intelligence coordination in order to counter terrorism in the province.
They, however, ruled out any link between the targeted killing of Shuja Khanzada and attack on Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Rashid Godil. They said that while Khanzada was targeted by sectarian terrorists, the aim behind attack on Godil was yet to be ascertained.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2015.