Washington: Pakistan is not “friends” with the Haqqani Network, the country’s ambassador to the US, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, has said.
“Those playing with human lives, we are against such elements or activities,” Dawn online quoted Chaudhry as saying.
Afghanistan has long blamed Pakistan for not taking action against Haqqani Network sanctuaries on its soil, alleging that this has allowed insurgency there to sustain, Dawn said.
However, earlier in March, General Joseph Votel, Commander of the US Central Command, informed a congressional panel that Pakistan had “done things” against the Haqqani Network that have been helpful to the war against terror.
“They have done some things that have been helpful to us,” he said. “Most recently, they’ve supported General Joseph Nicholson in some places on the border, making sure they were well coordinated and doing the activities on their side of the border.”
“That’s a very positive sign and a move in [the] right direction. And they have done things against the principal concerns we have -- the Haqqani Network and Taliban,” Votel said.
“But we need that to be more persistent and continue to focus in that particular area. And so, we will continue to engage with partner Pakistan throughout this.”
“So long as these groups maintain safe haven inside of Pakistan, they will threaten long-term stability in Afghanistan,” he said.
He added that the US was particularly concerned about the Haqqani Network, which posed the greatest threat to coalition forces operating in Afghanistan.
Chaudhry also reiterated that Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with India and these should be based on mutual respect.
Snapping of India-Pakistan peace talks by India due to militant attacks has only benefited the terrorists, he said.
“Whenever Pakistan and India move towards peace, there is a militant attack and India suspends peace talks. I think it encourages the terrorists,” Chaudhry told BBC Urdu in Washington.
Replying to a question about the arrest of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, he said, “We don’t want to send any negative message from Pakistan to the international community.”
“Declaring Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism is far from reality. It is wishful thinking by a few individuals who try to exaggerate such stories,” he said.
Earlier this month, a bill was moved in the US House of Representative that seeks to declare Pakistan a “state sponsor of terrorism”.
He said the new US president Donald Trump has positive views about Pakistan.
“If you want to know Donald Trump’s views about Pakistan, then you should read the conversation he had with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (soon after his ascension to the White House).”
