ISLAMABAD, June 07 : United States Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Mike Mullen assured the Pakistani senators that the US will not abandon the region ( Pakistan ) like it did in the early 90’s.
“ The US has learnt a lesson from that pull out” said Mike Mullen in an interaction with a delegation of Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production led by Chairman Defence Committee Lt. Gen .( Retd.) Senator Javed Ashraf, Senator Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel and Special Secretary and Secretary Committee Iftikhar Ullah Babar. The delegation visited the United States from May 17-22 on the invitation of from Chairman House Democracy Partnership (HDP) David Price.
Pakistani delegation also held meeting with the US high official including US Special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Central Asia and near East including Pakistan David Sedney. Chairman Senate Sub-Committee on near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Senator Robert Casey and a Senior official of CIA.
Referring to the recently remarks of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarks after the Faisal Shahzad episode, the US admiral said “Hillary Clinton is in the know about the reaction to her statement in Pakistan. She is actually a supporter of Pakistan and regretted her remarks”.
When his attention was drawn over the India attitude of shying away from bilateral talks, therefore he said US ’s help was needed to move forward with India , Mullen replied Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has to deliver to his promise adding, “The US government has talked about this to India and would try to be helpful”.
The US Admiral was appreciative of the role of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani wherein the army is seen in a positive role to compare to when he took over as Chief of Army Staff. The General, he said also built a high level of trust himself and commander of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan General McChrystal. However he said a lot needs to be done on the economic front.
To a query if the government structure in FATA would change soon the leader of the Pakistani delegation Lt. Gen. Retd. Javed Ashraf responded that this change would not change soon. He said the political structure has to be put back in place. He said that the army operation and Swat and FATA had the backing of all the political parties of the Pakistan in the Parliament. However, he said the aftermath of the operation is yet to be taken care of and much of the infrastructure has to be rebuilt. In South Waziristan the IDPs have yet to be rehabilitated. The government has not been able to do much in this regard due to economic restraints in this regard. There are military challenges in Orakazai Agency and North Waziristan Agency and more troops could not be pulled from Eastern border as Indian assurances can not be trusted.
The army, he pointed out has exhausted its ammunition reserves and the PAF its missiles, which needed to replenished. He said look down capability at night is required to track terrorists on the reserves slopes of high mountains and ridges.
Gunship helicopters and utility helicopters are required. Pochaur valley operation in Swat was a classic hellborne operation but such operations would require additional helicopters. He continued that Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) need money to buy raw material for manufacturing ammunitions. He emphasized that more training courses should be offered since in the past International Military Education and Training (IMET) courses for military were stopped resulting in an entire generation of officers, who could not undergo training in the US .
Gen retd. Ashraf said that the future generations of Pakistan have to be protected from becoming terrorists. It was a challenge for Pakistan and war at large.
He declared the recent statement by Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the State after Faisal Shahzad episode created problem for the government. Today, “ Pakistan students are being denied US visas and majority of them turned to other countries for higher education.” He informed Pakistan has not only 4000 students in the US as compared to 12000 in the past. He pointed out that even Nepal has 9000 students in USA .
Javed Ashraf pointed out that Coalition Support Fund was being reimbursed at very slow pace, which is creating financial problems for the government and made the army handicapped which was unable to recoup their expenditures on operations.
Ashraf raised the issue of US drone attacks in FATA, which was encroaching upon the sovereignty of Pakistan . He continued that these attacks at time collateral damage wherein innocent lives were lost. He demanded that drone technology should be provided to Pakistan so that it can take care of the terrorists itself.
He clarified that government of Pakistan was not against the US but there were independent groups in tribal areas who dislike the US . Drug money and financial support from Middle East to Taliban should be stopped by the US if the war has to be won.
Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel told that Pakhtoonkhwa had suffered most in the war on terror. Taliban have killed innocent children in Swat. Tourism in that area was no more and there was no business or industrial activities. Before the Taliban there was some business which has dried up. He reminded that Reconstruction Opportunities on Zones (ROZs) promised by the US government has yet to be set up.
Senator Syed Tahir Mashhadi informed that Pakistan was pinned down against the fundamentalists. Pakistani Taliban are also coming which was all the more dangers. They wanted to get to Karachi which was the economic hub of Pakistan . He asked what would happen if the US move of Afghanistan . He said Pakistan army too could not stay in operation area forever. He said the US has to plan the assistance for Pakistan not on a year to year basis but on at least five-year period.
On this Admiral Mullen said “five year economic plans were important and he had talked to the people on Capitol Hill, who are the real bankers writing cheques”.
The delegation also held a meeting with members of Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence led by Jan Sehakowsky during which a member of the committee stated that there was perception that Pakistan wanted to have strategic depth in Afghanistan and was supporting Haqqani Group. On this Javed Ashraf responded that strategic depth mean Pakistan did not want to occupy Afghanistan . It only wanted friendly and neutral government there. He objected that India has increased its presence in Afghanistan which is a source of worry for Pakistan . He said training of Afghan Army should be carried out by the US and not by the Indian Army. Pakistan he said wanted Hamid Karzai to succeed in Afghanistan .
Chairman House Committee on Appropriations Sub-Committee on Defence James P. Moran during meeting with Pakistan delegation said US was an ally of both India and Pakistan and it wanted they should solve their disputes between themselves.
US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbooke during meeting with Pakistan Senators said that the people in US think that the Pakistan know about the whereabouts of the Al-Qaida second in command Mullah Umar but the Pakistan intelligence agency ISI was denying about it.
In a reply to a question General Ashraf said that the US was unpopular in Pakistan because it give aids but with conditionalities. There was nothing wrong with the Kerry Lugar Bill in the Senate but when it went to the House of Representatives unacceptable conditionalities were inserted. Holbrooke pointed out that during Pervez Musharraf’s time billions of dollars were given to Pakistan which were not spent for the intended purpose.
“ The US has learnt a lesson from that pull out” said Mike Mullen in an interaction with a delegation of Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production led by Chairman Defence Committee Lt. Gen .( Retd.) Senator Javed Ashraf, Senator Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel and Special Secretary and Secretary Committee Iftikhar Ullah Babar. The delegation visited the United States from May 17-22 on the invitation of from Chairman House Democracy Partnership (HDP) David Price.
Pakistani delegation also held meeting with the US high official including US Special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Central Asia and near East including Pakistan David Sedney. Chairman Senate Sub-Committee on near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Senator Robert Casey and a Senior official of CIA.
Referring to the recently remarks of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarks after the Faisal Shahzad episode, the US admiral said “Hillary Clinton is in the know about the reaction to her statement in Pakistan. She is actually a supporter of Pakistan and regretted her remarks”.
When his attention was drawn over the India attitude of shying away from bilateral talks, therefore he said US ’s help was needed to move forward with India , Mullen replied Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has to deliver to his promise adding, “The US government has talked about this to India and would try to be helpful”.
The US Admiral was appreciative of the role of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani wherein the army is seen in a positive role to compare to when he took over as Chief of Army Staff. The General, he said also built a high level of trust himself and commander of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan General McChrystal. However he said a lot needs to be done on the economic front.
To a query if the government structure in FATA would change soon the leader of the Pakistani delegation Lt. Gen. Retd. Javed Ashraf responded that this change would not change soon. He said the political structure has to be put back in place. He said that the army operation and Swat and FATA had the backing of all the political parties of the Pakistan in the Parliament. However, he said the aftermath of the operation is yet to be taken care of and much of the infrastructure has to be rebuilt. In South Waziristan the IDPs have yet to be rehabilitated. The government has not been able to do much in this regard due to economic restraints in this regard. There are military challenges in Orakazai Agency and North Waziristan Agency and more troops could not be pulled from Eastern border as Indian assurances can not be trusted.
The army, he pointed out has exhausted its ammunition reserves and the PAF its missiles, which needed to replenished. He said look down capability at night is required to track terrorists on the reserves slopes of high mountains and ridges.
Gunship helicopters and utility helicopters are required. Pochaur valley operation in Swat was a classic hellborne operation but such operations would require additional helicopters. He continued that Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) need money to buy raw material for manufacturing ammunitions. He emphasized that more training courses should be offered since in the past International Military Education and Training (IMET) courses for military were stopped resulting in an entire generation of officers, who could not undergo training in the US .
Gen retd. Ashraf said that the future generations of Pakistan have to be protected from becoming terrorists. It was a challenge for Pakistan and war at large.
He declared the recent statement by Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the State after Faisal Shahzad episode created problem for the government. Today, “ Pakistan students are being denied US visas and majority of them turned to other countries for higher education.” He informed Pakistan has not only 4000 students in the US as compared to 12000 in the past. He pointed out that even Nepal has 9000 students in USA .
Javed Ashraf pointed out that Coalition Support Fund was being reimbursed at very slow pace, which is creating financial problems for the government and made the army handicapped which was unable to recoup their expenditures on operations.
Ashraf raised the issue of US drone attacks in FATA, which was encroaching upon the sovereignty of Pakistan . He continued that these attacks at time collateral damage wherein innocent lives were lost. He demanded that drone technology should be provided to Pakistan so that it can take care of the terrorists itself.
He clarified that government of Pakistan was not against the US but there were independent groups in tribal areas who dislike the US . Drug money and financial support from Middle East to Taliban should be stopped by the US if the war has to be won.
Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel told that Pakhtoonkhwa had suffered most in the war on terror. Taliban have killed innocent children in Swat. Tourism in that area was no more and there was no business or industrial activities. Before the Taliban there was some business which has dried up. He reminded that Reconstruction Opportunities on Zones (ROZs) promised by the US government has yet to be set up.
Senator Syed Tahir Mashhadi informed that Pakistan was pinned down against the fundamentalists. Pakistani Taliban are also coming which was all the more dangers. They wanted to get to Karachi which was the economic hub of Pakistan . He asked what would happen if the US move of Afghanistan . He said Pakistan army too could not stay in operation area forever. He said the US has to plan the assistance for Pakistan not on a year to year basis but on at least five-year period.
On this Admiral Mullen said “five year economic plans were important and he had talked to the people on Capitol Hill, who are the real bankers writing cheques”.
The delegation also held a meeting with members of Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence led by Jan Sehakowsky during which a member of the committee stated that there was perception that Pakistan wanted to have strategic depth in Afghanistan and was supporting Haqqani Group. On this Javed Ashraf responded that strategic depth mean Pakistan did not want to occupy Afghanistan . It only wanted friendly and neutral government there. He objected that India has increased its presence in Afghanistan which is a source of worry for Pakistan . He said training of Afghan Army should be carried out by the US and not by the Indian Army. Pakistan he said wanted Hamid Karzai to succeed in Afghanistan .
Chairman House Committee on Appropriations Sub-Committee on Defence James P. Moran during meeting with Pakistan delegation said US was an ally of both India and Pakistan and it wanted they should solve their disputes between themselves.
US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbooke during meeting with Pakistan Senators said that the people in US think that the Pakistan know about the whereabouts of the Al-Qaida second in command Mullah Umar but the Pakistan intelligence agency ISI was denying about it.
In a reply to a question General Ashraf said that the US was unpopular in Pakistan because it give aids but with conditionalities. There was nothing wrong with the Kerry Lugar Bill in the Senate but when it went to the House of Representatives unacceptable conditionalities were inserted. Holbrooke pointed out that during Pervez Musharraf’s time billions of dollars were given to Pakistan which were not spent for the intended purpose.
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