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WASHINGTON: The United States has assured Pakistan that it does not want to declare it a state sponsor of terrorism and desires to work with Islamabad “as cooperatively as we can” to eliminate terrorist safe havens from the South Asian region.
At a Friday afternoon news briefing, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby also said that the United States had full confidence in Pakistan’s capability to protect its nuclear weapons and to prevent terrorists from accessing them.
“I have not seen anything specifically about the… bill and obviously we don’t,” said Mr Kirby when asked if the US government would support a congressional bill and an online petition that seek to label Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’.
“We’re confident that Pakistan has the security controls they need to have in place on their arsenal, and I’d let them speak to that more specifically. I wouldn’t get into that,” said the US official when asked if Washington believed Pakistan could prevent terrorists from accessing its nukes.
In response to a question about Pakistan’s seriousness in combating terrorism, Mr Kirby said terrorism was as much a threat to Pakistani citizens and their children as it was to Afghan and Indian citizens and Pakistan took this challenge very seriously.
“We don’t think for a minute – we don’t believe for a minute that they don’t take the challenges before them seriously or the lives and security of their children,” he said.
Delegation
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Shezra Mansab Ali Kharal, MNA, currently in Washington to present Pakistan’s case on Kashmir, have been urging Americans to reduce their pressure on Pakistan. They repeated this message in more than a dozen meetings with US officials and lawmakers this week.
The envoys also reminded Americans that the situation in South Asia was changing rapidly and Pakistan had other options too, such as further strengthening its ties with China and improving relations with Russia.
Senator Mushahid Hussain’s statement at a Washington think tank that the United States was “no longer a superpower, it is a declining power,” raised many eyebrows, causing some to warn that Pakistan could spin out of US influence if pushed too hard.
While addressing another think tank, the senator said that the “road to peace in Kabul lies in Kashmir,” a warning noted keenly in Washington’s power circles and the media.
“You cannot compartmentalise peace, you can’t segregate a section... OK you can have peace in Kabul and let Kashmir burn. That is not going to happen,” he said.
This statement, combined with another in which he said that tensions with India could affect Islamabad’s capability to keep troops on the Afghan border, was interpreted as a warning that losing Pakistan’s support could complicate the Afghan situation.
Published in Dawn October 8th, 2016
Comments (34) Closed
Well done
Did you see the number of endorsements on that petition?
@Sierrabrave yeah more than double for any highest signature received by petition.
Keeping close coordination with state department, will be very beneficial.
All he stated are just the facts to be pondered with absolute sincereity!
Salute to our talented Senator! I remember him from May 1998, when I was sitting in my Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia, room and listing to his brilliant remarks. One of the finest star in Pakistani political arena! His remarks and presence of mind in today's complex geopolitical environment is powerful and we need to promote him to serve our national interest NOT party politics. National Interest comes first! Like me millions wish he were our FM or may be future PM!!
WOW! Senator Mushahid Hussain really hit the nail on the head. The US is a declining superpower and the road to peace in Afghanistan lies through Kashmir is really driving it where it hurts most, which is US pride. Salams
US still needs Pakistan as a roadway into Afghanistan. As US- Iran relations improve, they will have another route into Afghanistan and beyond. It is only a question of time. As for the esteemed senator, he may not know, how to make friends, but sure knows how to make enemies.
@Mehdi Syed US knows Pakistan's strategic position, and will always try to keep balanced relationship with Pakistan which is in US interest.
@Sierrabrave Most of the endorsement was done by the Indian community and many of endorsements were found to be fraudulent .
@Sierrabrave how many were rigged? And where is the petition?
Obama is leaving. He will not burden incoming president with this. This does however, the both candidates..... what way public opinion is leaning at the moment. And THAT is a powerful tool as well.
Well if they declare us a terrorist state how will they supply goods for their Nato in Afghanistan which goes via Pakistan!
Brilliant note , it is the reality on ground.. he may be foreign minister of Pakistan
This statement is a slap on the face of Modi and his cronies who are busy deflecting and diverting the attention of the hapless and helpless Indian people from the real issues.
@Sierrabrave Did you see why that petition was removed? Because US authorities suspected those "endorsements" to be fraudulent.
Not as yet...cos they still have their unfinished interest..in this international arena it is all about interest, power and control.. we have to go against nature cos..Nature... is nothing but the inner voice of self-interest...it may be hard but we have to for the sake of mankind..or else the world have seen two world wars and third one would be a total destruction of mankind
@Subodh Jain;
'As US- Iran relations improve, they will have another route into Afghanistan'
US-Iran relations are worse than Pakistan-India relations.
I had high respects as for as the abilities of this man Mushahid Hussan Sayyad are concerned, he proved himself yet again. Probably for the 1st time or a long span of time, I'm witnessing such energetic and robust stance of Pakistan on this front, all seemingly rather obviously due to Sharif, but unfortunately not the civilian one....
More people have died and are still being killed in Pakistan than in any other country of the world. The people of Pakistan know thar their armed forces are doing good job and all the terrorists will be wiped out of the country very soon.
@Subodh Jain Not too long ago Iran Under Shah rule was a the number one US allied . But as precaution US kept good relations with Pakistan just in case. With the falls of shah that US policy payed off and US leaned more on Pakistan in the region . And now today US is working on the same lines with a little twist. America is doing the same thing to India what India is doing to Bangladesh and Bhutan.
Irrespective of declaration should be not look within introspect and analyse whether some thing is fundamentally wrong.
Balochistan needs alot of attention. Improve life and everything in province and set out of politics and have to seal boarder with afghan at any cost and heavy air defence on afghan boarder. Strict visa policy on foreigners who visit peshWer and balochistan . We should be worried about inside , and economy.
A good approach.... Atleast this will promote Pakistan's sovereignty..... and turn down any further speculations
Straight forward and hard talk by Senator.
@Subodh Jain There are no permanent friends or enemies in international relations, only national interests.
Excellent analysis and defense of the Pakistan position by senator Mushahid Hussain Syed. Absolutely astute.
Must now move carefully to maintain good relations with all three powers: Russia, China and the U.S...
this man makes some sense
The petition was shelved due to fraud signatures on it.
The key word is 'not yet'
Pak should build good relations with all countries and should not let anyone hold her hostage to having good and robust relations with any country i.e. Russia, however, the new relationships should not be build at the cost of the old.
For the sake of Pak and its people Pak should keep moving forward and sooner or later other will join her. Pak has a very strong geographic location which cannot be ignored and all powers will do anything to keep her at their side. You just need to be smart.
Thank god someone actually speaking for Pakistan from Pakistan.
Excellent talk by Mushaidullah hussain
Finally foreign office got active.