ISLAMABAD: Recommen-dations by the Senate’s Committee of the Whole have been jointly approved in which it is said that Foreign Office should notify Pakistan’s reservations
by summoni
ng the American ambassador.
Senate Chairman Ra
za Rabbani chaire
d the session, in which an eight-page report was submitted about America’s policy regarding South Asia, declaring it unilateral. It was mutually declared that the United States had failed in Afghanistan due to its own policies, not because of Pakistan.
The US had neglecte
d the role of Pakistan as well as ground realities in its new policy, and Afghan war couldn’t be fought on Pakistan soil, it was maintained. It was further stated in the recommendations that Senate committee welcome
d the formation of Pak-Afghan Army Working Group to curb terrorism.
Ra
za Rabbani sai
d the recommendations reflect the views of people and parliament had proved that everybody was on the same page regardi
ng the nat
ional interest of Pakistan.
The Senate has stresse
d the need for crafting a nat
ional policy paper putting forth Pakistan’s narrative for US policy makers.
The committee called for a reg
ional diplomatic initiative to coordinate Pakistan’s response to the US president’s Afghan strategy in consultation with friend countries. It said that Pakistan should also formulate its own South Asian policy that should be comprehensive as peace could not be compartmentalized and segmented.
It also emphasised augmenting efforts to peacefully resolve the Kashmir dispute, where Indian Human Rights violations know no bounds. The report said that India could not be net security provider in the South Asian region given its conflicting relationship with all its neighbours. The report said that military escalation in Afghanistan would destabilise Pakistan an
d the region and would have negative consequences for Europe as well. The House urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that the territory of either state should not be used for terrorist activities against each other. Kabul was also urged to check hideouts and sanctuaries of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operating freely in Afghanistan.
The report also emphasized Pakistan to focus on border management and security alo
ng the Pak-Afghan border and fence the entire Durand Line.
Published in Daily Times, August 31st 2017.
