ISLAMABAD: Sartaj Aziz emphasized that the drone strike had “damaged” the Afghan peace process.
He clarified that Pakistani leadership was not taken onboard before the drone attack and mentioned that “Secretary John Kerry notified the Army Chief after three-and-a-half hours and the Prime Minister at 10:30 pm”. He said that the impression that a few Taliban persons were a hurdle to negotiations and the statement by Interior Ministry that indicators were strong with a hope that they would come to negotiation table with passage of time were completely erroneous.
Answering a question that whether the US had resumed its policy of drone strikes in Pakistan, he said that the government had successfully convinced the US for halting such attacks since taking office in 2013. He also said that though the number of drone strikes had reduced in recent years Pakistan was concerned over the two attacks in a year. This is not only a violation of the understanding, but would also affect the Pak-US relations, he added. He answered the question that whether Pakistan would raise voice against drone attacks at international forums other than issuing a statement of condemnation and said that Pakistan would do that and also highlight the issue in briefings to foreign envoys. He added that Pakistan would continue to pursue the objective in close consultation with Afghanistan Government and other members of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG).
On fate of QCG following the drone strike, he said that it was premature to say something about the finality of the peace process at the moment and the situation would become clear after the collective consultation of QCG members. He said that Pakistan believed that effective border management was vital for checking the infiltrations across long and porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border. About lack of information about the cross-border movement of the Taliban Leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour, he said that the reason was him travelling on fake identity. He recalled that the Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) on border management had been finalised with Afghanistan in 2012 and termed the Afghan government’s cooperation as imperative in this regard. He also said that the presence of large number of Afghan refugees had become a “big security risk as the terrorists and militants use the camps as hideouts for their nefarious activities”.
Sartaj also said that the international community needed to take effective measures on an urgent basis for the repatriation of Afghan refugees. “Pakistan’s desire for a lasting peace in Afghanistan is motivated by our conviction that peace and stability in Afghanistan is essential not only for the people of that country but also for the entire region,” he added.
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