ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has serious concerns over new US policy regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan, while military surge in Afghanistan can lead to further influx of militants into Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs here on Tuesday.
“Induction of more US troops into Afghanistan will definitely compel militants and extremists to move towards Pakistani areas bordering Afghanistan that might influence ongoing military operation in Pakistan,” Qureshi said while briefing the members of the committee about United States’ Pak-Afghan Policy and its impact on Pakistan.
Qureshi further told the committee members that Pakistan has declined US request to extend drone attacks to other parts of the country. “We have conveyed to the US that drone attacks are counterproductive and obstructive in our joint efforts towards winning hearts and minds in the war on terror,” Qureshi added.
According to well-placed sources, a senior member of US Senate is due in Islamabad on January 8 who is expected to hold talks with Foreign Minister Qureshi with special focus on upcoming Pak-US strategic dialogues and military surge in Afghanistan.
According to some media reports appeared in different sections of American and Western newspapers and wires, the Obama administration is considering to widen drone attacks on al-Qaeda and the Taliban inside Pakistan. These reports quoting Washington based American officials said that air strikes could be expanded to Balochistan.
The Foreign Minister while briefing the members said Pakistan has conveyed to US that drone attacks on Balochistan would not be tolerated and America will have to consider Pakistan’s sovereignty.
He further said new US Afghan strategy may put Pakistan into a state of confusion. Explaining his standpoint, Qureshi said induction of more troops in Afghanistan and the military surge could trigger more violence in Afghanistan, which could, in turn, result in further influx of militants and refugees into Pakistan.
He said that both Pakistan and the US have been engaged in consultations to make a strategy regarding enhancing border controls as well as effective military strikes to quell militancy and extremism from the region. He also mentioned that the growing nexus between terrorism and drugs money is another serious issue that needs to be dealt with an iron hand in Afghanistan urgently. He also underscored that Pakistan will never accept foreign forces on its soil and extension of drone attacks.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/23-Dec-2009/Attacks-on-Balochistan-not-to-be-tolerated-FM
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