ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Thursday conveyed to the US that it couldn’t launch any other military operation until it fully secured and stabilised South Waziristan Agency, the stronghold of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sources informed TheNation.
This policy decision was conveyed to the visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who met separately with Pakistani civil and military leadership.
Gates who is leading the largest US delegation met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Tariq Majid and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
The sources informed that host of issues including war on terror, regional security situation, US drone strikes into Pakistani territory, Indo-US nuclear relations as well as Pak-US bilateral defence cooperation came under dissuasion in the meetings. According to sources, Robert Gates had tossed up the US proposal seeking military operation in PakistanÂ’s North Waziristan Agency (NWA) in the meetings but received cold shoulder from Pakistani leadership.
“Islamabad has categorically told US Defence Secretary that it cannot undertake another military operation unless it secures and stabilises Taliban stronghold South Waziristan,” sources said.
President Zardari during a dinner meeting with Robert Gates’ team welcomed US affirmation of commitment to Pakistan’s stability and security. “It must be based on mutual respect and trust”, Farhatullah Babar quoted President as telling Gates.
President Zardari also emphasised that the issue of arrears in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) amounting to over $1.3 billion be resolved at the earliest. The President said that the economic cost of the war against terror amounting to $35 billion for the last eight years had gravely impacted PakistanÂ’s economy and the amount under CSF had actually been spent by Pakistan that needed to be reimbursed urgently.
“Pakistan has been facing delays in payments of Coalition Support Fund claims,” the President informed the Defence Secretary and urged for timely reimbursement of arrears. The President also expressed reservations over the new screening regime for Pakistani nationals saying it had generated resentment in the country and called for its review.
About the drone attacks on Pakistani territory, the President said that it undermined the national consensus against war on militancy and called for creating a mechanism whereby the drones were used by PakistanÂ’s security forces and not by foreign troops that raised questions of sovereignty.
“It was critical that national consensus on war against militancy was not allowed to erode and anything that tended to weaken it was avoided,” the President emphasised.
The President said when Pakistani security forces employed hi-tech in the war, it had no negative fallout. He said, “If our own security forces possessed drones, it would be a more helpful high tech weapon of war than when it was used by foreign forces.”
The President also called for strengthening law enforcing agencies and provision of necessary equipment for meeting the ends of fight against militancy. He said that democratic stability in Pakistan was contingent upon advancement of our development agenda and called upon the industrialised world to play a greater role.
President said that a Marshal Plan was needed to overcome economic problems and called for the Friends of Democratic Pakistan to translate into practice the pledges of economic and financial support to Pakistan. He also called for allowing greater market access to Pakistani goods in the US and European markets.
The President emphasised the need for early adoption of legislation in the US on Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZs) to give the needed relief to the tribal people in their search for economic well-being and social and political stability to counter forces of extremism and militancy.
Referring to the new Afghan strategy of the US, the President said that Pakistan had legitimate interests in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and urged that US must remain sensitive to PakistanÂ’s core national interests and concerns.
US actions should remain on the Afghan side of the border, he added.
President Zardari also underlined the need for controlling drugs that he said, were serving as “a force multiplier “ to the benefit of militants.
Robert Gates appreciated PakistanÂ’s role in the war against extremism and militancy and assured full support to Pakistan in fight against militancy as well as economic rehabilitation.
The Prime Minister in his meeting with Gates conveyed sheer concerns of PakistanÂ’s Parliament over the continued US drones strikes into Pakistani territory. The PM called for reversing the US drone policy saying it was proving counterproductive, as efforts to separate tribesmen from Taliban were not paying off.
Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar during his meeting with the US Defence Secretary called upon the US to enter into civilian-nuclear energy cooperation with Pakistan and also to recognise it as a nuclear state.
Military leadership including Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majeed in their separate meeting with US Defence Secretary called for enhanced intelligence sharing to make the terror war more meaningful and goal-oriented. They also expressed concerns over the manner Afghan soil was being used to destabilise Pakistan. The visiting US Defence Secretary also laid wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada.