ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has questioned the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s
role in border security arrangements and prevention of cross border
infiltration by militants.
Reacting to US Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta’s statement asking Pakistan to improve its border security
arrangements on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit said
“we have done our best but the question is that what is being done on
the other side of the border.
During the weekly briefing he
informed that Pakistan had deployed 160 000 troops along the long porous
border with Afghanistan besides the establishment over 900 check-posts
to ward off militants and aggression. “Therefore, there is no room to
blame Pakistan on their own weaknesses and loopholes”, he added.
“Afghanistan’s
role in border security and in prevention of cross border infiltration
has now become a big question mark,” he remarked.
Answering a
question regarding the American aid blockade, he said it was aimed at
eliminating IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). “It reflects that it
takes a narrow vision of the entire situation and then wrong conclusions
become unavoidable,” he stated.
Replying to a question
statement of The Foreign Minister regarding United States cutting of
military aid to Pakistan, the spokesman said that Foreign Minister was
perhaps responding to a move in the Congress. US Embassy, on the other
hand, has denied any such development “I guess that you are referring to
this in the context of the IEDs matter. We believe that the move in the
Congress is not based on facts and takes a narrow view of the overall
situation. Hence, wrong conclusions are unavoidable”, he deliberated.
“Meanwhile,
as you know, we are in the process of reviewing our terms of engagement
with US, NATO and ISAF in their entirety. The issue of Pakistan’s
sovereignty, let me emphasize the issue of Pakistan’s sovereignty, is
non-negotiable”, he resolved.
The spokesman brushed aside the
latest allegations of Mansoor Ejaz against DG-ISI Shuja Pasha seeking
permission of Arab leaders to overthrow Zardari-regime as totally
ridiculous.
Answering another question regarding
Wajid-ul-Shamsi’s proclaimed reluctance to appear before the summons of
Abbottabad Commission, the spokesman advised on a “wait-and-see policy”,
as nothing regarding the issue of the appearance of the High
Commissioner in front of Abbottabad Commission was yet clear.
The
spokesman, while refusing to answer the subjudice issue of Memogate,
informed that rules of business for all Ambassadors or High
Commissioners, career diplomats or political appointees, were uniform ;
and as such all were supposed to send regular reports to the Foreign
Ministry in Islamabad concerning their meetings and activities in the
host capital.
He also assured that friendly countries had been
taken into confidence on the very serious development of Pakistan‘s
endeavors to revise its relationship with the United States, and all the
while an internal in-house review was also in process, which would be
implemented on its conclusion .
Referring to the recently
convened Envoys’ Conference held here in the Ministry on 12-13 December
2011, he said that recommendations reflecting the aspirations of the
people and National interest of Pakistan were formulated by the envoys,
and were presented to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security
this morning by the Foreign Minister. “So, the process is on. We are
confident that whatever emerges from this process will be in sync with
aspirations of our people”, he assured. Referring to the American
apology over 26th Nov American attack in Mohmand Agency , he informed
that Pakistan was moving forward with its own process , getting into
more concrete areas, reviewing terms of engagement , which was far more
important than a verbal apology. “Government and Parliament are working
hand in hand to make sure that whatever policy directions are given or
established, those would be good for the country as a whole, and ensure
that our national interests, both in the immediate term and in the
longer term, are fully preserved”, he said.
He also expressed
his optimism over cessation of any further drone attacks ever since
Pakistan had lodged its strong protest and announced action in future,
since no drones had flown so far.
Referring to the issue of
assassinated former Afghan President, Burhan-uddin Rabbani, he said that
investigations were underway to resolve the murder. Online
