March 01 , 2016
News
6th Ministerial Review of Pak-US Strategic Dialogue : Pakistan working to choke terror financing, Sartaj tells Kerry
WASHINGTON: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz Tuesday said that Pakistan is determined to deny space to any terrorist group and measures are being taken to choke terror financing as accounts worth Rs one billion have been frozen so far.
Speaking at the the 6th Ministerial Review of Pak-US Strategic Dialogue process held in Washington, Aziz said Pakistan has rendered huge sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, and the country’s resolve to finish and win this fight remains unshakable. US Secretary of State John Kerry led the US delegation at the talks. “Our strategy to eliminate the terrorist networks and defeat their extremist ideology is all-encompassing. We are focusing on three fronts that include both kinetic and non-kinetic actions,” the adviser told the meeting. He said that as a result of the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb, the most treacherous and unreachable areas in FATA, especially in North Waziristan were now under the writ of the State. The terrorists have either been killed, captured or flushed out of their heavens, he added. The government is engaging the religious scholars and community leaders to establish close contacts with young people in their communities, mosques and schools and discuss issues that provoke radical narratives and misunderstandings. “Recently in a huge gathering of religious scholars in Islamabad where eminent leaders from across the Muslim world participated, a comprehensive decree was issued declaring ISIL a terrorist group. Similarly, this vast array of Muslim scholars pronounced that killing innocent civilians was not permissible in Islam,” he maintained. “We strongly believe that continued US participation in arrangements meant to enhance our counter terrorism capacity not only help Pakistan but also advance the US interests,” Aziz added. He thanked Secretary Kerry for his recent positive testimony on the Capitol Hill and appreciated the public assessment of the US leadership in response to Congressional inquiries that Pakistan has used the F-16s effectively against the terrorists in the region.
“The prospective sale of F-16s will strengthen Pakistan’s capabilities to successfully continue these vital operations for our mutual benefit and stability in the region,” he remarked. The adviser proposed the various elements that, he said, could be considered for charting out the way forward towards an enduring and multifaceted relationship between the two countries. Expanding cooperation for enhancing bilateral trade and investment cannot be overemphasised, the minister said and urged the two sides to work out a mutually acceptable framework to ensure enhanced market access for Pakistani products in the US. On the education front, he said creating opportunities for the talented Pakistani youth in acquiring both educational and entrepreneurial skills from the US institutes should also be the mutual priority. He said Pakistan is a water deficient country and would be extremely important to explore ways and means to address the water issues in the existing working group of energy. Needless to point out that water scarcity in Pakistan could negatively impact the regional stability with global ramifications, he added. He said the defence partnership has been a key pillar of overall relationship and a structured and mutually agreed platform will help in bolstering the defence cooperation between both the countries. He underlined the need for the US cooperation and support for more efficient border management between Afghanistan and Pakistan to help check illegal movement of terrorists and smugglers. Aziz said that engagement between the two countries on non-proliferation and strategic stability will continue and Pakistan hopes to see greater US understanding of Pakistan’s security concerns and its desire to contribute actively as a mainstream nuclear power.
He recalled the overreaching principles he had put fourth during the January 2014 Ministerial Review in which he had emphasised on according primacy to the element of mutual trust at all levels and among all key institutions to build strategic convergence, instead of remaining captive to isolated tactical differences. “The trust factor, therefore, remains critical to our enduring partnership,” the adviser said while sharing his assessment of the significant changes that have occurred in Pakistan in the past two and a half years and the country’s efforts for peaceful neighbourhood, consolidation of democracy, economic revival and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
On the outset of his assessment, the adviser underlined the need of Pakistan being given its own strategic space, instead of being viewed through lenses borrowed from East or West. “We believe we have earned this over a history of result-oriented relationship.” The adviser expressed his regrets that there was tendency to blame Pakistan in a simplistic fashion for most of these challenges and the country was blamed to be pursuing a duplicitous policy. “This narrative revives the unpleasant memories of the past when our relations had dipped to perhaps its lowest level in recent years,” the adviser said, adding that nothing can be farther from truth than to hold Pakistan responsible for the Afghan imbroglio.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk