“I am sure the CIA also has links with many terrorist organisations around the world,” said Hina Rabbani Khar. – Reuters Photo

NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said here on Sunday that the Haqqani group that the US was now charging with attacks on the American embassy in Kabul had been CIA’s “blue-eyed boy” for many years.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera TV, she said: “If we talk about links, I am sure the CIA also has links with many terrorist organisations around the world, by which we mean intelligence links,” she said.

“And this particular network, which (the United States) continues to talk about, is a network which was the blue-eyed boy of the CIA itself for many years.”

Asked about US Admiral Mike Mullen’s statement that the Haqqani group “acts as a veritable arm” of ISI, the foreign minister said: “It is something that goes very, very unappreciated on our side. This is unsubstantiated. No evidence has been shared with us.” Partners and allies, she said, did not talk to each other through public statements.

Pakistan had taken up the matter with the United States, but the spate of hostile statements coming from senior US officials meant that Washington had taken a policy decision. If that was the case then “We have the right to make our own decision.”

Ms Khar went to say that scapegoating and blame games would be of no help. Pakistan wants to be a US partner. “I just hope that we’ll be given a chance to cooperate with each other and the doors will remain open —because statements like this are pretty much close to shutting those doors,” she added.

Replying to a question, Ms Khar said the drone attacks not only violated Pakistan’s sovereignty, they were also counter-productive, and angered the people of Pakistan. “I think we must not be tested more than we have the ability to bear,” she added.