Daily Times

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 summoning the American ambassador.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani chaired 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 neglected 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 welcomed the formation of Pak-Afghan Army Working Group to curb terrorism.

Raza Rabbani said the recommendations reflect the views of people and parliament had proved that everybody was on the same page regarding the national interest of Pakistan.

The Senate has stressed the need for crafting a national policy paper putting forth Pakistan’s narrative for US policy makers.

The committee called for a regional 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 and 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 along the Pak-Afghan border and fence the entire Durand Line.

Published in Daily Times, August 31^st 2017.