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ISLAMABAD: The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) gave a go-ahead on Tuesday for starting negotiations with the US for resetting ties in the light of parliamentary review.
The negotiations are expected to primarily revolve round resumption of Nato supplies, counter-terrorism cooperation, greater transparency in US operations in Pakistan, demand for civilian nuclear deal and expulsion of foreign operatives from the country.
Strangely, cessation of drone attacks, demanded by parliament and long viewed as a breach of sovereignty, is missing from the government’s list of priorities for upcoming parleys.
“The DCC discussed guidelines approved by parliament on April 12, 2012, with regard to Pakistan’s foreign and security policies. It was decided that a work plan may be developed for effective implementation of parliamentary guidelines based on Pakistan’s national interests,” a statement issued simultaneously by the Foreign Office and Prime Minister’s office said after the conclusion of the meeting of the country’s top security policy coordination forum.
Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, other services chiefs, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and a number of federal ministers attended the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Mr Gilani told the meeting that it was time to move beyond review during which the entire relationship had been put on hold.
The green light from the DCC, which had soon after the Salala incident ordered a review of relations with Washington, looked a mere ritual after Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had in her telephonic conversation told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a day earlier, that “we’d be happy to accept and welcome a (US) delegation to continue the dialogue on the new terms of engagement”.
The meeting underscored importance of the parliamentary review saying it gave ownership to country’s foreign and security policies. The only red line set by the forum and disclosed publicly was “no compromise on Pakistan’s nuclear programme”.
Prime Minister Gilani announced the key “policy parameters” for re-engagement with the US in his opening remarks.
“Negotiation on new terms and conditions for resumption of the Ground Lines of Communication (more commonly referred to as Nato supply routes), joint counter-terrorism cooperation, greater inter-agency coordination, transparency in US diplomatic and intelligence footprint in Pakistan, strengthening of border security and non-use of Pakistan’s territory for attacks on other countries and expulsion of all foreign fighters from Pakistan’s territory, are our fundamental policy parameters,” Mr Gilani said, omitting the much criticised US drone strikes.
Information Minister Firdous Ashaq Awan and other government functionaries were contacted for comments on the startling omission of drones from the prime minister’s remarks officially released to the media, but no-one was available.
There has been a consistent softening of the stance on drones, whose tactical advantages are now being realised. The initial proposals tabled in the parliament for debate by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had linked them to continuity of Nato supply routes through Pakistani territory. But the final edition restricted only to reiterating condemnation of the drone strikes in principle.
The Pak-US negotiations will be important in the sense that they will provide an opportunity for discussing ‘nuts and bolts’ of the future cooperation on the basis of the broader guidelines given by the Pakistani parliament.
“The message from the parliament – yes to partnership but not at the cost of our sovereignty, carefully calibrates the roadmap of the engagement,” Mr Gilani said.
The DCC discussed the terrorist attacks in Kabul, which have been blamed on the Haqqani network. The deliberations in this regard focused on the possible international repercussions of the incident even though initial reactions from the US and Afghanistan have been careful, avoiding criticism of Pakistan’s failure to reign in the Haqqanis.
“The DCC condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul and other Afghan cities and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive peace and reconciliation process,” the statement said.
