ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has categorically conveyed to the US that skepticism over the ongoing counter-terrorism operations will not be in anybody’s interest, as the country’s security forces are conducting an across-the-board military operation against all terror outfits, including the Haqqani network.

This was stated by a senior government official privy to the discussions held during the recent visit of US National Security Adviser Susan Rice to the country.

“We stated in categorical terms that terrorist is only a terrorist - not good or bad…and the US side expressed confidence in the military operation and appreciated the actions in which the infrastructure of the terrorists including the Haqqani network has effectively been disrupted in North Waziristan,” said the official who requested not to be named.

He said that Pakistan has been fighting the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb, against militants with its own resources and so far it has cost the national exchequer up to US$1.9 billion. The “Zarb-e-Azb is financed completely from our own resources without taking any financial assistance from international community including Untied States…our cost of this war alone has reached US$1.9 billion,” the official said, adding the cost also includes expenditures on the temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) due to the military operation. “Nobody can tell us to “do more”, because we are not going to do more…we have already done enough in terms of human and financial losses in the ongoing terror war,” the official said.

Earlier, reports claimed that Rice expressed concern over the deadly attacks in Kabul, which are sourced to the Haqqani network. “This is absolutely unacceptable. We look forward to Pakistan reducing this threat…Pakistan was also told to take “specific measures” for stopping the attacks,” a media report, quoting a US official as Rice having conveyed to Pakistani authorities.

The government official further stated that the US National Security Adviser was also informed about the ongoing anti-Pakistan propaganda in Afghanistan and that the Afghan government was responsible for starting the propaganda after suspension of the second round of peace talks between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban. “We sincerely want to improve our relations with Afghanistan and it was in that spirit that Pakistan made serious efforts and for the first time brought the Afghan government and the Taliban together for talks in Murree on July 07, 2015,” he stated.

Asked whether Rice also shared the US government concerns on the delay in trial of those suspected in the Mumbai attacks, the official stated that there was no mention of the trial during the discussions; however Rice did query actions taken by government of Pakistan against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned terror outfit, blamed for the Mumbai attacks.

“LeT is a UN sanctioned organization and the government of Pakistan has already taken action against the organization and it has been banned and its affiliate outfit Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which is a charity organization, is also under watch,” he said.

About Pak-India border tension, the official said that Pakistan urged the US to play a pivotal role in easing tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary. “We conveyed our stance on the LoC tension which is very clear that we don’t want any tension on the Eastern border when a large number of our troops are already engaged against terrorists on the Western border,” the official said. Pakistan further conveyed to Rice that “our Rangers are engaged in Karachi and a large number of FC personnel are deployed in Balochistan. In such s situation when our forces are engaged in other parts of the country against militants, how can we open another front on the Western border with India,” the official stated.

“The US wants Pakistan and India to resolve their issues bilaterally but we urged them [US] to play their due role in resolving conflict as US enjoys cordial relations with both Pakistan and India,” he added.

He said that Pakistan also conveyed to the US side about RAW’s interference in the country and the decision of the government to take up the issue at the UN platform.

About the Pak-US relations, the official said that Pakistan and US enjoys cordial relations and during the discussions the US National Security Adviser conveyed the desire of the Obama administration to expand bilateral ties beyond defence and security cooperation.