« Government efforts to trace masterminds of suicide attacks making good headway: Cheema | Home | Sharif signed deal in 2000: Pak govt »

Pakistan not responsible for restive situation in Afghanistan: Kasuri

By admin | August 15, 2007

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has said that it is inappropriate to term Pakistan responsible for poor law and order situation in Afghanistan.Talking to BBC Television in its ‘Hard Talk’ programme Wednesday the Minister said that those who think so are not taking the right account of the things on the ground.

Responding to a question about alleged Al Qaeda and Taliban safe heavens and on Pakistan’s soil, the Minister said if one reaches this conclusion by looking at some intelligence estimates then he is misguided.

“We should see what happened to the intelligence estimates regarding the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq” Kasuri said, adding that the Washington Post itself said about those estimates that they were doctored.

He said that one can create a perception, but it is not always the true picture of the situation on the ground.

The United States is facing a difficult situation in Iraq and Pakistan is facing a difficult situation at its western borders, he said.

Of course the US is serious and Pakistan is also serious in tackling the situation, he said and added the country has sacrificed 700 soldiers while about 2100 got injured.

He said this is not a small sacrifice but the western media gives little attention to this aspect.

If the media had projected these sacrifices, the public opinion in the West would have been much better on Pakistan’s role, the Minister observed.

He said that wrong assertions by some individuals and the media in the West make the people of Pakistan angry because they have rendered a lot of sacrifices.

Kasuri said the problems in the tribal areas have their origin in the 80s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

In recent past he said the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated after the focus of the West was shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq.

After the fall of Taliban the West has made promises about massive reconstruction in Afghanistan and eradication of poppy but what happening on the ground is contrary to that, he said.

The Foreign Minister said the Secretary General of the UN as well as the delegation of UNSC in reports testified to that, adding that one should not simply pointed the finger at Pakistan.

One should rather express gratitude for the role that Pakistan is playing in the war against terror, he said.

To a question he said the tribal areas of Pakistan include 7 agencies and the trouble is mainly in some parts of southern and northern Waziristan. There are of extremist tendencies but the government has been taking action against in this connection, he added.

The Minister said that terrorism is not a phenomena peculiar to Pakistan, rather the entire world including US and UK are facing this menace.

Referring to the statements of some US officials and prospective presidential candidates, he said they have the potential to cause much damage to Pak-US relations.

He however said that there were some positive statements issued by Candoliza Rice, President Bush and others and the media should also take account of these statements.

Kasuri said that Pakistan values its relationship with US but it does not take dictation from that country in decision making.

He said both the countries having good relations can advise each other in certain matters but it should not be taken as dictation by either side.

Responding to another question the Minister said that an impression has been created that what happened in last few months with reference to the chief justice case the Supreme Court has turned hostile to the government.

It is under this impression that some people are viewing weakness on part of the government, he said and added “I don’t think that is the case at all”

“We are happy that the judiciary is independent as is the press and I don’t see why it should be considered that two pillars of the state, the executive and the judiciary, should be considered hostile to each other”, the Minister said.

Asked how he rates Pakistan in comparison to India after 60 years of independence, the Minister said the population in Pakistan’s rural areas is living in better conditions than in India.

He said at the time of partition Pakistan got very little resources compared with India but in many areas it is ahead of that country at present.

Kasuri underlined the need for a solution to Kashmir dispute that would be endorsed by Pakistan, India and above all the people of Kashmir.

Topics: Pakistan News |