Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Khawja Asif on Monday said that dialogue with India is not possible in the prevailing situation, especially after the recent statement of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in which she claimed the whole of Kashmir belongs to India.

Talking to a group of journalists after a meeting of the Senate’s defence panel, Asif said that the Indian external affairs minister had given a statement against Pakistan without realising the actual situation in Kashmir. He said that even a Congress member had criticised the Indian government’s Kashmir policy in Indian Parliament.

He said Pakistan had decided to take up the Kashmir issue in the United Nations and at other international forums. In the current circumstances, Track-II and Track-III diplomacy stands ruled out with India.

The defence minister said that the national security adviser during his visit to Iran would take up the issue of Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev and other matters with the Iranian government.

Earlier, the committee met under the chairmanship of Mushahid Hussain Syed.

Briefing the Senate panel, the defence minister said that the Afghan government could take up the issue of terrorism with Pakistan after the return of Afghan refugees to their country.

Some terrorists – under the guise of refugees – are operating in Pakistan, and once this problem is solved the Afghan government can talk about terrorism from the Pakistani side, because these refugees are involved in it, he added.

Afghanistan is blaming Pakistan for supporting Quetta Shura, he said, and suggested that the support and aid being provided by UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to refugees in Pakistan should be spent on them after sending them to Afghanistan.

“We will persuade border management and not leave this issue unresolved. Nobody will be allowed to cross the border without valid documents. Even the Afghan government agreed on the document issue,” he added.

Defence Secretary Lt Gen (r) Alam Khattak, briefed the committee on Pakistan-Afghanistan border situation, saying it had been recognised as an international border and is not just Durand Line. He said that the Torkham gate would be inaugurated on August 1, adding that gate would be installed in phases at eight crossing points, including Angur Adda.

He said that the Pak-Afghan border is a 2,600-kilometre porous border. There are 80 crossings from where jeeps can cross, while 200 crossings can be crossed on horses and donkeys, he said, adding that these issues could be resolved through strict border management.

He said the Haqqani tribe had fled to Khost and that taking action against them was the Afghan government’s responsibility.

He said the US Congress last year approved $100 million for stability activities undertaken in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan. “This initiative has been taken by The Pentagon. [Release of] funds will be reconciled during a meeting in September.

Khattak said that the Afghan forces attacked Pakistani side of the border in June, and the situation normalised only after interaction of military officials from both sides.

To a question, he said that local tribes would also be involved in border management.

Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qayum welcomed the Afghan president’s invitation to the prime minister for a visit to the neighbouring country and said that Pakistan needed to engage with Afghan authorities to resolve all issues.