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Any agreement on Afghan crisis to address Pakistan’s equities: US
WASHINGTON: The US military strategy for South Asia includes assuring Pakistan that its “equities” are acknowledged and addressed in any future agreement in Afghanistan, says a key American general.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week, Gen Joseph Votel also said that “some military cooperation activities” between the US and Pakistan have continued even though the Trump administration has suspended security assistance to the country.
“Our posture with Pakistan involves supporting our colleagues at the Department of State as they pursue a diplomatic solution with Islamabad to end the conflict in Afghanistan while ensuring that Pakistan’s equities are acknowledged and addressed in any future agreement,” he said.
Islamabad has never hesitated in sharing its concern with Washington that it feared a hostile setup in Kabul would be used, particularly by India, for stirring troubles in Pakistan. American analysts in Washington claim that it’s this fear that has prevented Islamabad from severing its ties to the Taliban.
Take a look: The Afghanisation of politics
Gen Votel, however, told the committee members that Pakistan was an important regional player — not just because of the Afghan conflict — and that’s why Washington wants to retain its relationship with Islamabad. “As a state possessing nuclear weapons that sits at the nexus of Russian, Chinese, Indian, Iranian, and US geopolitical interests, Pakistan will always be a country of importance to the United States,” he said.
Gen Votel also acknowledged the positive role Pakistan has played in arranging the ongoing dialogue between US and Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar, and hoped that this cooperation would continue.
Noting that ‘regionalisation’ was a key part of the US strategy for Afghanistan, the general said: “Pakistan, in my estimations, has played a more helpful role, a more constructive role in helping us move forward towards this objective.”
As head of the US Central Command, Gen Votel is directly responsible for US military and anti-terrorism operations in the Pak-Afghan region. “Pakistan presents the US with challenges and opportunities in the execution of our South Asia Strategy,” he told the Senate panel, but also complained that Pakistan’s actions were “often a source of frustration” to US regional efforts in Afghanistan.
Gen Votel said that Pakistan has taken positive steps to assist Special US Representative of Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in support of Afghanistan reconciliation by facilitating talks with the Taliban. But Pakistan “has avoided taking any concrete or irreversible steps such as arresting or expelling Taliban leaders who do not cooperate with reconciliation efforts”, he said.
Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2019
Comments (61) Closed
The US seems to take into consideration the efforts Pakistsn has taken to move the peace process forward. A positive sign...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
Tone has been changed at 180 degree. What really happened?
This is our victory .victory not just of the truth that Pakistan is a peace loving country but also of the fact that we are strategically indispensable for all major powers of the world .Global community needs to support Pakistan ,atleast morally and not just get carried away by propaganda of our unfortunately archival, India which has time and again refuted our peace overtures .
We do what best for us, you do what best for you. Cooperate fully on common point as simple as that.
India has long used Afghanistan as second front against Pakistan. Operated proxies,pitched Afghan governments against us ,created distrust among people and made every effort to destabilize Pakistan .World needs to recongnise this fact,as stable and prosperous Pakistan is in the interest of the region and world as whole.
They must give dollars if they want help.
Any Indian role???
USA is in dire need of Pakistan to enable it to run from the invaded nation.
/never happy , always complaining............like we have afoot on your tail.
India has already been using Afghanistan as a launching pad to spread terror inside Pakistan.
Is strategic depth is still a valid point?
Smart statement for us to act as front man but ground reality stand changed,stop mentioning what is being paid that too is for your own interest not to help Pakistan.
@Zeeshan , US gave intelligence information to Pakistan, numerous times, ended into failure.
@Anonymouseeeee, Do you have any proof?
Double talk to please the listners.
US does not trust Pakistan anymore, no matter how much they do for America to earn the trust.
the Pakistan will incorporate the option of no use of its soil against Pakistan in the Afghan peace agreement.
$$$B invested by India wasted?
A nightmare for Americans if Russian, Chinese, Indian, Iran & Pakistan come together and resolve differences. Divide and conquer has been working very well.
@Anonymouseeeee, Even the Afghans the inhabitants, dont believe, rather, believe otherwise
Pakistan has been a US ally for 70 years and will always stay so even if they face some clashes of interests while walking on this path. There is a deep rooted compatibility between the two establishments and the elite of Pakistan including politicians, writers, educationalists, artists and activists draw there inspirations from the USA. Even the wishes of the people of Pakistan are in harmony with democracy and capitalism. I think, the US needs to revisit some of its long term political strategies towards non Arabic belt of Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.
Seems like construction of library and other so called development programs initiated by India has been wasted . Carry on Pakistan, you are on winning end.
Pakistan really working hard, though i think bjp looses next election, there will be peace after all in Afghanistan, cpec will help economically, what remain is Pakistan inside political situation which has no clear picture...
They choose their words in such a way that they give their message without making any mess.It is time for Pakistan to stand on their feet for self respect.
East or West Pakistan is the best Pakistan Armed Forces Zinda Abad
Only if we had honest and sincere politicians in the past, the world would be at our feet. The history is our witness.
Pakistan should play a major role in solving the Afghanistan issue only through defending its vital interests.
Positive sign & good fr PK
And what about "Lies and Deceit"!!!!
@Zahid, I think you have some major comprehensive issues!
Flip Flop. Only for public consumption. Bottom line is how will the Afghan peace deal look like.
@Jason, Actually the it is the US that lost Pakistan's trust since the mid 60s, worsening every decade since. So it is the US that needs to prove to be trust worthy, not Pakistan.
@Joesph,
Your failure and our failure is not the same thing.
There is no peace process without Afghanistan involved. After all this is about Afghanistan and not Pakistan. Bottom line, US will never get out of Afghanistan. This is strategic place to keep eye on Iran, China and Russia. Too much to loose if got out.
@FactChecker
The biggest asset is the trust of the people. Afghanistanis love India. In the long term only it matters
@Harshvardhan, aren’t you reading news, or you are just ignoring it. Proofs are provided several times
@Ghosh, This applies to India.
Tone has been changed since khan Saab has arrived , and khan Saab’s opponts say otherwise , Khan Saab’s opponts are living in fools paradise
Do not trust yankees.
Please don't try to be fool the Pakistanis any more. We know what you have always done to harm our country and what are your plans for the future for us. That is the blunt truth. So just go away and stop your sermons and speeches about addressing our concerns.
Pakistan being the front-line state fighting the global War on Terror has faced the brunt, with over 74,000 men, women and children killed due to Indian terrorism. The US must stop India from using Afghan soil to launch terrorism in Pakistan. Indian Navy Commander Jadev has provided all the details of India's state sponsored terrorism. That must end. Pakistan still hosts over 2 million Afghan refugees from Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. No country wants peace and prosperity in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
What other choices do the have?
Perhaps this is another twist in the story , I strongly suggest Pakistan Keep playing its cards very wisely . Don’t trust no one .
Forget us about Afghanistan.
There is shift in US policy thinkers and they now realize their mistake that India and Indian agents in Afghanistan have taken US for a ride. US now realizes that US cannot win the Afghan war without Pak's help and if they have worked with Pak from the very beginning then US would have won the war long time ago with few billions spent and without any loss of life instead of trillion spent and many lives lost by relying on India.
Also, US realizes that key to the Central Asia riches lies in Pak and not India plus the door to the Chinese Road and Belt success also lies in Pak and not India. Additionally, Pak is the counter weight to Iran and not KSA so US realizes now how big a mistake it was to move away from Pak.
This time Pak is on the right side, so Pak needs to hold its ground as now Pak is negotiating from a strong position and US will address all of Pak's Indian and Indian agents concern in Afghanistan. SO NOW IT IS AN END GAME FOR INDIA and INDIAN AGENTS ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN.
@Ghosh, 'And what about "Lies and Deceit"!!!!
That's been left to Modi and his comical' surgical strike'.
As long as India is in Afghanistan, there will be no peace.
Ask them to pressure India to leave Kashmir. Kashmir has gone out of Indian hands anyways, it's just the matter of time when Indian Gov. will accept it publicly. Pakistan is on the right track finally.
The best thing I the US can do is to help resolve the Kashmir issue. With peace and normalization between India and Pakistan, 95% of the regional conflicts will end and the danger to the world posed by potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan will be eliminated
@Salman, could not have said it any better
‘Pakistan’s equities acknowledged and addressed in any future agreements’ what do these Americans mean?? sounds like double talk to me, so far it goes against what they have practiced. They arm our foes to the hilt but deny us arms which we have already paid for, they threaten and coerce us, invade us in the dead of the night and all the time pretending to be our ally and benefactor, bottom line ...don’t trust them one bit, expect nothing in return and consider only what is in Pakistan’s interest.
@N_Saq, - please wake up from your dreams.
@J.Irani ,
'This is strategic place to keep eye on Iran, China and Russia. Too much to loose if got out.'
General Hameed Gul said that 17 years ago, except that he also included Pakistan that needs to be kept an eye on.
@J.Irani ,
'This is strategic place to keep eye on Iran, China and Russia. Too much to loose if got out.'
US may have too much to lose by getting out but Trump has too much to lose by staying. Election campaign in US starts in just over an year.
@shakaib, & vice versa,
@FactChecker, - Not wasted, the Afgan people benefited as was the intention!
India is playing a negative role in the reconciliation of Pak-Afghan and Taliban- US as well. India try to destroy the peace process, which can be seen from the recent address of the Afghanistan President.....
Whatever they testify before their committees that’s their concern. When they come here asking for help, we hold the upper hand. With China as our partner and US influence losing by the day, we all know where the world power is shifting again to the east and we are aligned properly for the future!
@Jason, the better way to put is that Pakistan doesn’t trust US anymore and treat them as friends but with a cautionary look. We have moved on!
US should warns India to not assist PTM and other activity in pakistan
What will happen to the library Modi built in Afghanistan?