ISLAMABAD: A high-powered delegation of US senators led by led by Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain on Tuesday told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Pakistan has agreed to ‘joint operations’ against terrorist groups in the border region, a statement from Presidential Palace in Kabul said.
“The Senators said that head of Pakistan’s armed forces General Qamar Javed Bajwa has agreed to joint operations against terrorist groups in the border region. They said that the US would provide monitoring and verification of these operations,” the statement said.
The delegation has reached Kabul after a two-day trip to Pakistan where the US senators met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and also travelled to South Waziristan to attend a briefing about Pak-Afghan border security situation, including recent measures to improve security through fencing and enhanced surveillance.
President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan ‘agrees with the proposal’ of joint border operations with Pakistan, monitored by the US.
The statement issued by Pakistan Army after meeting with the visiting dignitaries did not mention any proposal of joint operations with Kabul. “Pakistan has done its best despite constraints and shall continue its efforts for peace and stability,” ISPR quoted General Bajwa as having told US senators.
Kabul had long been insisting on a third-party monitoring of operation against terrorists and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ghani had agreed last month to use the Quadrilateral Coordination Group mechanism as well as bilateral channels to undertake specific actions against terror groups and to evolve, through mutual consultations, a mechanism to monitor and verify such actions.
McCain warned Pakistan that Washington was counting on its support to eliminate militancy and in particular the Haqqani network, responsible for numerous attacks on Afghan territory.
“We made it very clear that we expect they (Pakistan) will cooperate with us, particularly against the Haqqani network and against terrorist organisations,” said McCain in Kabul.
“If they don’t change their behaviour maybe we should change our behaviour towards Pakistan as a nation,” he insisted.
President Ghani told US senators, “It is not a war in Afghanistan but a war over Afghanistan against transnational terrorist organizations. And there are questions now as to whether the Taliban are a criminal organisation with a political front rather than the other way round.”
He said Afghanistan was no longer dependent on Pakistan for trade and transit as they have recently signed several deals with northern neighbours to improve road and rail links, besides a new air bridge to India and access to the sea via Chabahar port in Iran.
The senators said their visit reflects the US support for Afghanistan but maintained they were ‘finding it increasingly difficult to explain to the US taxpayers why US was still so heavily committed in Afghanistan’.
McCain called for more than just troops, however, urging ‘a strategy to win’ the war which has dragged on for nearly 16 years and which even US generals concede is at a ‘stalemate’.
“The strongest nation on earth in this world should be able to win this conflict,” he said, calling for diplomatic efforts alongside a military push.
Meanwhile Dr Abdullah’s office said that Senator McCain shared details of his talks with Pakistani leaders who pledged cooperation with Afghanistan.
“Pakistan should help Afghanistan in fight against terrorism,” a statement from Abdullah’s office quoted Senator McCain as saying.
Senator Lindsey Graham said Pakistan could be ‘punished’ if it did not change its policies as the present situation was unacceptable, according to a Pashto-language statement received here. He, however, said Pakistan would be ‘rewarded’ if it changes its policies.
The senators showed concerns at the relations of some regional countries with the Taliban and maintained that the US will continue its military and financial support to Afghanistan. The statement did not name any country. However, senior US officials are now routinely blaming Russia and Iran for support the Taliban, the charge both countries reject as false.
Published in Daily Times, July 5th , 2017.