ISLAMABAD: Declaring the US a “callous state”, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said on Wednesday that “the parliament of Pakistan has serious concerns and reservations” over the nature of relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

“The relationship between Pakistan and the United States seems to be driven by giving priority to the national security interests of the US in the region rather than those of Pakistan’s,” Mr Rabbani observed while admitting for a debate four adjournment motions on the US Congress decision to withhold funds earmarked for Pakistan’s purchase of F-16 jets.

The chairman made the observation on the US-Pakistan relationship when Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz sought deferment of the debate, saying that he could not respond to the motions because the matter related to the ministry of defence.

The adviser said that since there was an involvement of the defence ministry and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the whole affairs, he could not speak on it.

But Mr Rabbani disagreed with the adviser’s assertion and said the motions were not about technical or financial matters relating to the F-16 issue. The movers, he added, wanted to discuss the Pakistan-US relations, and not the “sale mechanism”.

Mr Rabbani said he had “great respect for Congress and the Congressmen of the US, and their concern over how their taxpayers’ money is spent is well taken. But we as representatives of the parliament of Pakistan also have serious reservations over the way the US was conducting its relationship with Pakistan”.

He said parliament was “concerned over the tilt of the US towards India in the region”.

“They entered into an agreement with India on the civil nuclear programme, but continue to refuse the same to us. And even now the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Congress is reported to have said that one of the reasons for blockage of the monetary assistance for F-16s is India’s concern over the issue,” Mr Rabbani said.

Besides this, he added, the US was a “callous state” which was evident from the fact that “it does not court-martial its officers and men who, according to their own inquiry, are responsible for the bombing of a hospital in Afghanistan, killing over 40 women and children”.

The Senate chairman regretted that the US did not “respect Pakistani laws and courts as was the case in Raymond Davis and now the continuous demand to free Dr Shakil Afridi”. He said the US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, had even stated during his campaign that the first thing he would do after becoming the president was to get Dr Afridi freed.

Adviser Sartaj Aziz said he respected the chairman’s observations, but added that these were not confined to the issue of F-16s sale; these were based on the state of overall relationship with the US.

He said he was ready to respond to the motions on the Pakistan-US relationship.

Mr Rabbani then fixed the debate on adjournment motions for Thursday (today) and asked Mr Aziz to come prepared for it.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2016