Opposition grills Khawaja Asif for asking Tillerson about terror targets in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government faced sharp criticism in the Senate on Tuesday, as opposition lawmakers alleged that it was pursuing the policies of General Pervez Musharraf and this was reflective from foreign minister’s recent statement, whereby he made a commitment to the US that Pakistan will take action if given details of terrorist safe havens in its territory. 

During a debate on the recent visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to South Asia in the wake of new US policy, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that he was shocked that Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif only reiterated the narrative of General Pervez Musharraf.

He said that the way forward for Pakistan was to dismantle the Jehadi infrastructure of the 1980s, dissociate itself from the narrative of General Musharraf and civilianise foreign policy formulation instead of viewing it from the perspective of the security establishment alone.

“Musharraf used to confront foreign interlocutors by asking them to give him phone and address of the Afghan Taliban hiding in Pakistan and he will go after them and this is what the incumbent government is doing,” Babar insisted.

He recalled that Asif also informed the Senate that the visiting US Secretary of State had been asked to give the addresses of Taliban leaders for taking action, which showed that General Musharraf's policy of denial continued.

Babar noted that many had welcomed the recent statements by Khawaja Asif and interior minister Ahsan Iqbal about putting own the house in order. He advised Asif to simply pursue investigations in the identity card and passport issued to Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor Akhtar and pieces in the jigsaw puzzle may fall in their place adding these are things due to which Pakistan was losing heavily.

Senator Babar said that after Trump's new policy, drone strikes have been resumed as militants are hiding and changing locations, while Taliban have intensified attacks inside Afghanistan, they have still not a single province.

“There are contradictions in policy. On the one hand, we deny safe sanctuaries and on the other we say that we do not want to bring the Afghan war to our territory. If there indeed are no sanctuaries, how will the war enter into Pakistan,” he questioned. 

Senator Usman Khan Kakar of PkMAP, who sits on the treasury benches, said that the flawed foreign policy, which has isolated the country, needs to be revisited, adding the need of the hour is that our relations with Iran, Afghanistan must be given priority or the situation will become even worse.

He said that majority of the military generals, bureaucrats and politicians are US green card holders, adding if they are serious about not serving what the US is asking them to do, they should first give up their US citizenship.

Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) said that Soviet war left behind a vacuum of power, which was filled by Taliban fugitives despite the presence of troops of 16 countries.

He regretted that the then military regime committed to US proxy war in Afghanistan on a threatening phone call from US still haunts Pakistan, adding the do more rhetoric of Donald Trump is nothing but to contain China by  appointing India as policeman of region, which is in way acceptable.

Shah proposed that if US is serious about Afghan peace, it has no option but to go for a political solution instead of military might by taking Pakistan, Iran, China, and Turkey onboard which is the only solution to bring lasting peace in the war torn country.

Senator Seher Kamran of PPP said that the foreign minister Asif had recently claimed that US is keen to play its due role in normalizing Pakistan-India relations, which according to her, could only be possible if India is pressured for resolution of long-standing dispute of Kashmir issue.

Senator Azam Khan Swati of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the joining the so-called war against US under pressure from US was biggest blunder ever committed by Pakistan, adding the time has come Pakistan must not make such blunder by becoming part of the US proxy war for the third time.

To this, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani made a sharp observation that there existed no parliament of democratically elected people when the decision to join US war against terrorism was taken by a military dictator.

PTI’s Azam Swati said that the parliament has made crystal clear to US that it would not become part of any other proxy war, adding both civilian and military leadership response that the country no more needed any weapon or economic assistance should be enough for US that we can not fight anyone else war.

Senator Col (R) Syed Tahir Mashhadi of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that US is in a predicament as it could not face its people after humiliating defeat in Afghanistan.

“This is the reason, it is bent upon making Pakistan a scapegoat to hide its failure”, he added, adding, the US wishful thinking to appoint notorious India a policeman of the region is doomed to fail as we are not going to succumb to any pressure on this unjustified desire of the US.

Senatro Nasreen jalil of MQM-P said that the narrative conveyed to the US was long due, as Pakistan will not become part of any proxy war which is not in the interest of the country. PPP’s Senator Taj Haider said that the narrative which Khawaja Asif conveyed to US, has been the major demand of PPP for the last 50 years, adding what Donald Trump is doing is continuation of 60 old years old long US policy, which serves there national interest.

“The US troops are stationed in over 80 counties world over, and the US does not ant peace anywhere in the region. The US has been using the religious fundamentalists – right from Taliban to militant outfits in the Middle East: is exploiting the religious extremists for its own vested interest,” he added.

The treasury senators, including Javed Abbasi, Salim Zia, Saud Majeed lauded the stance taken by their party in wake of Donald Trump’s new South Asia policy and Afghanistan policy.

They said that no government dared talking to US like this parliament said a clear ‘no’ to US ‘do more’ rhetoric. They were hopeful Pakistan would be able to further firm up its policies in a realistic manner in the time to come.  

These senators welcomed the recent visit of Asif to the United States and his statements, explaining Pakistan’s principled position on the menace of terrorism and the sacrifices, rendered by the nation over the years.