FO expresses disappointment at US policy statement for region

ISLAMABAD: Taking note of United States (US) President Donald Trump’s statement announcing his strategy for the region and criticising Pakistan for ‘harboring terrorists’, the Foreign Office on Tuesday issued a statement reiterating that no country in the world has done more than Pakistan to counter the menace of terrorism.

The statement expressed disappointment at the US policy statement adding that ‘enormous sacrifices have been rendered by the Pakistani nation in this effort’.

“No country in the world has suffered more than Pakistan from the scourge of terrorism, often perpetrated from outside our borders,” the FO statement asserted.

Rebutting accusations of providing safe havens to terrorists, the statement said that Pakistan does not allow the use of its territory against any country as a matter of policy. “The US needs to work with Pakistan to eradicate terrorism rather than relying on the false narrative of safe havens,” the statement emphasized.

The FO reaffirmed that Pakistan has been and would continue to be part of the global counter terrorism efforts. “The US and Pakistan are close allies in the fight against terrorism, which is a common threat for all nations of the world,” the statement said.

“The threat to peace and security cannot be isolated from the complex interplay of geopolitics, continued existence of festering disputes and pursuit of hegemonic policies. Non-resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the primary obstacle to peace and stability in the region,” it added.

The statement concluded that “Pakistan reiterates its view that there is no exclusive military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan. The military action during the last 17 years has not brought peace to Afghanistan, and it is not likely to do so in the future. Only an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned politically negotiated solution can lead to sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

It further said that Pakistan is committed to working with the international community towards the common objective of defeating the forces of terrorism and to promote peace and stability in the South Asian region.

A federal cabinet meeting also discussed President Trump’s strategy on Afghanistan and South Asia on Tuesday. A detailed discussion on the matter and a “comprehensive policy statement” will be held in the meeting of the National Security Committee on 24 August 2017, the statement added further.