Extending CPEC to Afghanistan: Pakistan supports China's desire: Asif

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif Wednesday said that Pakistan supports China's desire to extend China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan through the country's tribal areas for the economic development of the war-torn country as well as FATA. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Minister said the Chinese proposal to extend CPEC to Afghanistan was discussed in detail during the trilateral dialogue between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan held last month in Beijing.
"Pakistan is not opposing this proposal and we support the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan via Pakistan's tribal areas," he said, adding the Chinese side was urged to consult Pakistan prior to taking any decision to extend CPEC to any third country. On Pakistan-US relations, Asif said there was no 'real shift' in the US position despite the recent interaction between officials of the two countries, adding that the problems still exist in the relationship.
"The relationship [between Pakistan and US] is not really smooth...the Americans have tried to clarify their position. But in my humble opinion, the situation remains the same and there is no real shift in American position as well as our response," he said.
The foreign minister said: "We are trying to keep balance in our relationship with the US and at the same time we have conveyed to US at levels - civilian and military - in categorical terms that we are in no need of the US assistance and Pakistan can live without their assistance." He said US side was also told that Pakistan cannot compromise on its national interests.
To the repeated US allegations of terrorist 'safe havens,' he said the repeated accusations by the US leadership are 'actually meant to cover up their failure in Afghanistan.' "The continued allegations coming from Washington and Kabul are not acceptable. A few American generals are actually shifting the blame of their failure in Afghanistan to Pakistan," he said, adding, "We have to stand up to those who accuse us of harboring terrorists."
On Afghan refugees and the border management with Afghanistan, he said Pakistan has repeatedly urged the US to help Pakistan in the repatriation of the refugees, adding repatriation of the refugees to their home country and effective border management are important for peace.
Though he admitted that the crime rate among the registered Afghan refugees is minimal compared to the rest of the country's population, yet he asserted that Pakistan cannot make it 100 percent sure that the refugees camps are not used for terror activities both in Pakistan and Afghanistan with open borders. He said terrorists involved in last year Lahore Chairing Cross terror attack had stayed at the refugees camps before carrying out the attack.
He said US was also told that Pakistan is fencing its side of the Pakistan-Afghan border and emphasized that the Afghan side should also fence its side of the border to check the cross-border terrorists' infiltration. "Pakistan cannot be accused of any terror attack [inside Afghanistan] in the presence of refugees' camps and the open borders," he asserted, adding that Pak-Afghan border needs to be managed like international borders.
However, he said Pakistan is still committed to the lasting peace in Afghanistan and is engaged in various initiatives such as Heart of Asia and Istanbul process and Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) for restoration of peace in Afghanistan.
To a question about the reported visit by a delegation of Taliban from Qatar, the foreign minister expressed his inability to confirm this, saying, "We are not involved in it." Asif also told the committee that the facility of air and ground communications for the US forces stationed in Afghanistan is still available through Pakistan.
He also told the panel that the US has currently suspended all the military assistance but the military training facility is still continued. Since 9/11, Asif said Pakistan has received a total of $5.23 billion US civilian aid, adding the amount also included the assistance given through various NGOs and INGOs.
Responding to another query, he said US has spent $1.84 trillion in its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, adding that 1.4 million civilian Iraqis were killed in the war. Committee member Farhatullah Babar questioned whether the anti-terrorism Fatwa (decree) of religious scholars issued on Tuesday last, which declared private Jihad as well as suicide bombings un-Islamic, also covered the so-called Jihad across the national boundaries as has been proudly claimed by some militant outfits.
In his response, the foreign minister said his reading of the Fatwa document was that it also banned private Jihad across national boundaries, adding the Fatwa was very comprehensive and it was in the light of the talks held in Kabul a few months back.
Babar further questioned the alleged efforts to mainstream militant organizations without taking the Parliament on board, saying the soft treatment meted out to former TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, bail of Maulana Soofi Mohammad, shielding Maulana Masood Azhar from UN sanctions and lately the militant organizations entering into electoral politics point towards these undeclared moves. The foreign minister, however, stated in categorical terms that it is not the policy of the state to mainstream the militant organizations.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also briefed the committee on the recent visits from the US including by Acting Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Alice Wells, saying Pakistan shared its specific concerns on the situation in Afghanistan. On Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups as mentioned in the US Embassy statement after Ambassador Wells' visit, she said the two sides had detailed discussions on the issue, adding Pakistani side conveyed that it has undertaken comprehensive counterterrorism operations against all groups. She stated that US delegation was also told that the presence of terrorists in the ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan is posing threats to Pakistan.