'Pakistan should go after any terror group including Haqqanis'

Pakistan should go after any terror group including Haqqani Network if it wants to live in the comity of nations but such a decision must be taken after taking people into confidence, said Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan.
The immense pressure by Washington on Islamabad to go after Haqqani Network, a group allegedly based in North Waziristan Agency, has once again endangered the ties between the two strategic partners in the war against terrorism, following a clear message reportedly given to civilian and military leadership of Pakistan in the past few days that United States will act unilaterally if Pakistan does not comply.
"Perhaps, the Americans know that it is the right time to exert pressure on Islamabad for launching operation against Haqqani Network when the country is facing worst economic situation", Salim Siafullah Khan said. However, he added that it was not on the dictation by any other country to bring peace and eliminate militancy but people of the country want peace not only in Pakistan but also in the neighbouring countries.
"We should go after any 'network' either Haqqani or any other group if we want to live in the comity of nations", the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs said while talking to Business Recorder, adding that it was inappropriate to establish states within the state by such groups.
He maintained that any such step should be taken after an indigenous assessment, taking all aspects into consideration including economic and political situation and above all taking people into confidence. To a question, he said that US knows the problems of Pakistan, as military - almost half of it, is already deployed on western borders and it would not be appropriate to blame Pakistan for what it (US) did not achieve in 10 years long war against terrorism.
Shamshad Ahmed Khan, former Foreign Secretary, said that it depends on policy-makers of the country whether or not to open another front in the shape of military operation in North Waziristan by taking into consideration the county's best interest on priority. "Any decision if they felt necessary should be taken after taking into consideration the best national interest", he said.
He said that the US demand to go after Haqqani Network was not something new and such demands have been coming from Washington for the last two years. The former Foreign Secretary, however, said that he does not think that the Americans have taken up the very sensitive issue (Haqqani Network) with an inexperienced Foreign Minister.
"I don't think that the American side has taken up the sensitive issue with Hina Rabbani Khar, who is new to the assignment and does not know the things", he said while referring to three and a half hours recent meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Hina Rabbani Khar in New York.