UNITED NATIONS, Aug 24: Pakistan on Tuesday told the international community that apart from Afghanistan itself, no other country had a more vital stake in the establishment of peace, security and prosperity in that country than Pakistan.
Addressing the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram decried efforts by some countries “who wish to poison relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan”.
Saying that peace in Afghanistan is essential for tranquillity and development of Pakistan’s own border regions, Mr Akram said: “Pakistan supports the continuation of the presence of the US and ISAF forces in Afghanistan unless peace and stability are fully restored there and a viable Afghan National Army can assume full responsibility for the country’s security.”
“Most of the coalition’s fuel, food and other supplies come from Pakistan.
“Those who, therefore, raise doubts on Pakistan’s commitment to peace and security in Afghanistan, often by exaggerating the threats from cross-border movements are those who wish to find excuses for their own failure or those, some of whom we have heard here, who wish to poison relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” said Mr Akram.
Underscoring the need of a comprehensive strategy for success in Afghanistan in addressing the security, political, economic and social objectives of Afghanistan, he observed: “Even without the burden of violent insurgency, the reconstruction of Afghanistan faces a truly formidable combination of challenges, including the pervasive drug economy and some of the worst social and economic indicators in the world”.
“We have mounted a determined campaign to eliminate Al Qaeda and Taliban elements on our side of the border. We have captured over 700 of them, the highest number captured by any country. As President Musharraf observed a few days ago, because of our efforts, Al Qaeda’s command and control structure has been broken and largely dismantled. This terrorist movement now operates largely through splinter cells in many countries. We have deployed 75,000 troops, for the first time in history in the frontier tribal areas of Pakistan, for pacification and interdictions, largely with the concurrence of the tribes involved. Seven hundred (700) posts have been established along the border.
Four thousand troops are being added for interdiction duties in the run-up to the Afghan parliamentary elections. Our troop strength on the border,
He expressed disappointment “that these great efforts, which are being made by Pakistan at the cost of considerable sacrifices of human and financial means, have not been mentioned in the Secretary General’s report. The effort to prevent two-way flow of Al Qaeda, Taliban, tribal or criminal fighters is a cooperative endeavour between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US forces in Afghanistan promoted inter alia through the Tripartite Commission.”
He said: “Peace will enable the nearly three million Afghan refugees who remained on our soil for 20 years, virtually without any international support, to return home voluntarily, and with dignity and honour. Peace and economic revival in Afghanistan will accelerate the already burgeoning trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It will also open up the shortest transit routes for trade, energy, raw materials and goods between Central Asia, South Asia and the world, with enormous economic benefit to Afghanistan, Pakistan and all the countries of the region.”
In a statement the UN Security Council condemned “terrorist acts or other forms of violence” aimed at disrupting the political process, (in Afghanistan) and called on the international community to make up a nearly $30 million shortfall to fund the elections.
“The Security Council expresses grave concern about the increased attacks by the Taliban, Al Qaida and other extremist groups in Afghanistan over the past few months,” Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, which holds the 15-nation body’s rotating presidency for August, said.
Mr Oshima said council members expressed the strong view that the international community must maintain a high-level of commitment to help Afghanistan tackle such challenges as, disbandment of illegal armed groups, the production and trafficking of drugs, development of government institutions, acceleration of judicial reforms, protection of human rights, and sustainable economic and social development.