Pakistan seeks trust-based US cooperation: FO

Pakistan on Monday sought the Untied States' closer cooperation based on trust to deal with emerging threat to peace in the region posed by the nexus between Afghanistan-based ISIL and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), calling for an end to pointing fingers and blame game of terrorist "safe haven."
Commenting on the recent discussions in the US on Afghanistan and Pakistan-US relations, Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that Pakistan has followed with keen interest the deliberations in the US Senate on the Afghan situation and discussions in the US media and think tanks on Pak-US relations.
"We welcome the sentiments of all those who have acknowledged Pakistani leadership's commitment to supporting the realisation of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, besides recognising the complexities involved in achieving peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and expressing a desire to work with Pakistan to eliminate terrorism," he said.
He said, "We have also taken note of the voices recommending a holistic review of the US policy to see how Pakistan and the US could work together to promote peace and security in the region for the benefit of both countries and the region". "We are, however, disappointed with some of the assertions and insinuations made in the recent discussions about terrorist safe havens in Pakistan that we feel are misplaced and not in sync with the current situation on the ground." he said.
A top US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that Taliban fighters and the Taliban-aligned Haqqani Network continued to find sanctuary across the border in Pakistan's tribal areas, besides urging the new administration for a 'holistic review' of the US relationship with Pakistan.
Zakaria said that Pakistan strongly believes that any discussion on the future of Afghanistan and the way forward in Pakistan-US relationship should take into account that Pakistan chose to stand with the international community for a common cause following the tragic attacks of 9/11 and has paid a staggering human and financial cost.
This has also been Pakistan's longest war costing over 60,000 fatalities and $118.3 billion in resources, he said, adding Pakistan alone has lost more soldiers in this fight than the number of soldiers from all the 40 coalition partner countries combined.
He said Pakistan has undertaken this momentous effort, while hosting one of the largest refugee populations in the world and operating under the limitation of an unregulated border.
"Thanks to the remarkable success of our decade long military operations in Fata, especially Operation Zarb-e-Azb and continued law enforcement activities, Pakistan has been successful in destroying and eliminating the command and control structure of terrorist outfits operating from Pakistan-Afghan border", he said.
He said that a significant decline in incidence of terrorism in Pakistan is now an empirical reality widely acknowledged by international observers. This success has been made possible only after all the organised terrorist groups were indiscriminately targeted and eliminated, wherever found. Senior US officials and congressional leaders have had the opportunity to personally witness the enormous change in the ground situation on our side of the Pak-Afghan border, he added.
Zakaria pointed out that the discussions speak of a multiplicity of factors both military and non-military that contribute to the existing stalemate in Afghanistan. "Therefore, singling out Pakistan and pinning the entire blame on Pakistan for the situation in Afghanistan is neither fair nor accurate, moreover, is it not borne out by the ground realities," he added.
In the absence of a sincere review of the past mistakes, he pointed out that recycling old strategies would not produce new results. "The practice of pointing fingers elsewhere has not helped Afghanistan in the past nor will it promote Afghanistan's interests in the future," he said, adding Pakistan has consistently called for a negotiated peace settlement in Afghanistan, which remains the responsibility of all parties to the conflict.
The spokesperson further said that Pakistan has also argued strongly against steps and actions that complicate the conflict and result in loss of innocent lives. It has also been highlighted a number of times that Afghan soil should not be used against its neighbours, he added.
He pointed out that on a number of occasions in the past, Pakistan and the US have agreed at the highest level on the criticality of border management and settlement of refugees as fundamental issues in achieving any degree of success in Afghanistan. "Sadly, even when there are serious policy debates on the larger issue of borders and refugees in other parts of the world, no serious attention is being given to Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the discussion," he added.
Zakaria said that terrorist groups attacking Pakistan have found safe havens in Afghanistan. "The recent elimination in Afghanistan of terrorists involved in a number of heinous acts of terror in Pakistan clearly demonstrates the existence of safe havens in Afghanistan for elements attacking Pakistan," he added.
He said that the nexus between ISIL-Khorasan and TTP is also a source of deep concern for Pakistan. "We need to prevent the emergence of new and more virulent entities committed to spreading chaos and insecurity in the region. This calls for closer cooperation based on confidence and trust. Pointing fingers and throwing blame at others would be unhelpful and counterproductive," he added.
However, he made it clear that Pakistan's resolve to defeat terrorism remains unwavering, adding emerging terrorist networks like ISIL will not deter Pakistan from continuing its valiant struggle against terrorism. "We also remain committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan and will continue to work with members of the international community including the Afghan government to make 2017 a year of cooperation for peace, security and stability in the region", he added.