Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: In a rare move in the backdrop of increased US pressure to ‘do more’, Pakistan on Wednesday briefed almost entire diplomatic community in Islamabad about its achievements as well as the challenges in fight against terrorism, unprecedented Indian ceasefire violations along LoC and the Working Boundary and the gross atrocities being committed by India in the Held Kashmir.

Although Foreign Office routinely organises such briefings for diplomats, it was for the first time that the diplomats were briefed jointly by the foreign minister, foreign secretary, chief of general staff (CGS), director general military operations (DGMO) and director general military intelligence (DGMI).

Except India, all ambassadors and heads of missions stationed in the federal capital were invited at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the briefing arranged to dispel repeated allegations against Pakistan that it was not doing enough in the fight against terrorism and that it had spared some groups like the Haqqani network in its war against militancy.

Welcoming the participants, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the briefing had been arranged to inform the diplomatic corps about the massive counterterrorism efforts that Pakistan had undertaken in the last 16 years, more so the developments in the last 4 years.

The participants were provided details about the success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fassad which had eliminated terrorist presence in Pakistan, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

They were also briefed about the terrorist threat emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of human lives and damage to infrastructure in Pakistan, the statement said, adding, “Details were also provided on how Indian belligerence and unhelpful posturing is distracting Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts and how an active RAW/NDS nexus is verifiably working to undermine Pakistan’s internal stability.”

Ambassadors were shown evidence of an Indian campaign of unprecedented ceasefire violations, provocations and insinuations, including terrorism in the form of IED attacks against innocent civilians on the Pakistan side of the LoC and the Working Boundary, the statement said. “These Indian activities constitute an unfortunate ‘new normal’ aimed at destabilising the entire region,” it added.

The members of the diplomatic corps, according to the Foreign Office statement, condoled the loss of human lives in the terrorist attack in Quetta on Tuesday. The chief of general staff informed the diplomatic corps that Tuesday’s terrorist attack had been traced back to Afghanistan.

The comprehensive and detailed briefing by the civil and military leadership was appreciated by members of the diplomatic corps.

The briefing comes days after the United States suspended security aid to Pakistan and US President Donald Trump said the country had given the US ‘nothing but lies and deceit’.

Published in Daily Times, January 11^th 2018.