This demand was made during the bilateral foreign ministers meeting in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly.
Following the three and a half hours exhaustive meeting, a senior US state department official said that full range of issues were discussed and “counterterrorism remained the first and last most important agenda-item”. “Haqqani network s involvement in attack on the US Embassy in Kabul was discussed and secretary Clinton s message was clear that something had to be done against Haqqani network”.
Khar condemned the attack and said that terrorism is also a threat for Pakistan,he said adding that “Pakistan was looking into ways to take such an action”. While describing the meeting as candid and substantial, he said that both Secretary Clinton and Minister Khar have a good relationship ever since they met in Bali earlier this year and agreed to continue the meaningful dialogue. “Secretary Clinton wanted to sit with Pakistani foreign minister Khar for a lengthy duration to discuss issues in detail.”We wanted to listen viewpoint of Pakistan and hoped that they will listen to ours”, he informed.
Regarding other issues discussed during the meeting, he said that Afghan-led reconciliation effort with Taliban was also discussed with an agreement that there can t be a stable Pakistan without a stable Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba s presence in Pakistan, threat coming from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and safe heavens in Pakistan were also discussed and both sides pondered upon actions to encounter this problem that Pakistan and US can take jointly. “We must remember that thousands of Pakistani lives have been lost in this war”, he recalled.
On a question regarding US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter s statement yesterday about having evidence of Pakistan s links to Kabul attacks, the US official said that this was not raised in the meeting by Pakistan. On another query regarding the meeting of Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and US Admiral Mike Mullen in Spain on Saturday, he said “both Clinton and Khar had been debriefed by their military leadership about what was discussed between Gen Kayani and Admiral Mullen”.
The official, talking about broad range of cooperation between both countries, said that Pakistani delegation raised the issue of support for Pakistani economy and US market access, upon which Clinton shared her vision about silk route for promotion of regional trade. “If we can figure out a problem together and then work on it jointly, that ll be good”, he said adding that both sides committed to working on such issues jointly in future. “We understand that there is work to do on US image in Pakistan and hope that Pakistanis appreciate the positive contribution of US for food-relief”. He hinted that the ongoing strategic dialogue on counterterrorism and energy will benefit Pakistan.
In response to questions from the pakistani media after the meeting, foreign minister Hina Rabbi Khar hailed the meeting as “positive and constructive”. On the issues raised by US, she declined to answer the specific points but stressed that “there is complete convergence on strategic issues between both countries”. “I don t want to counter anything that US has said”, she responded when asked about specific US demand of action against Haqqani network. “It is not a uni-dimentional relationship and we have conveyed it to US”.
Another high-rankinfg Pakistani official, giving a background briefing to media, said that “all common interests were discussed with candour and we discussed how we can move to the next level in this relationship. Pakistan, US, Afghanistan and other world powers have to be on the same page for counterterrorism and a lot of time was spent discussing issues pertaining to reconciliation process with Taliban”, he observed. “There are differing viewpoints on recent attacks in Kabul. We don t have to agree on everything and Pakistan s position was made clear”, he informed.
“Given complexity of issues, such interaction is important and Pakistan wants to pursue this relationship further”, he asserted. “We have to see how we can further build on it, share common goals on stability, peace and counterterrorism”, he went on to add. “Our concerns on unilateral actions like drone strikes was also conveyed and need for coordination and joint action was stressed”, he revealed adding that “Pakistan has asked for more details on US demand for action against Haqqani network”.
“We also want clarity whether priority in Afghanistan is of military strategy or civilian strategy and there are issues of attacks on Pakistan from other side of the border while talking of safe heavens”, the official noted while conceding that discussion with US authorities did take place on regional security, Haqqani network, Kabul attack and cooperation at bilateral level etc. “We do not see that this should be an event driven relationship and are focussing on dynamics of startegic relationship where US wants to go and where Pakistan wants to go. If some events take place which Pakistan has nothing to do with, we should work on it because our interests converge on many counts”, he said while referring to the recent tension between both countries following attack on US embassy in Kabul allegedly by Haqqani network on September 13.
“We have condemned the Kabul attacks and violence is no solution, there should be de-escalation”, he emphasised adding that Pakistan has suffered a lot in the war against terror already and did not need to mention again how much of a victim it had been of terrorism during the previous years. “This was a constructive and substantial meeting overall and we welcome this opportunity”, he said while hoping that these discussions will continue in future too.
Earlier, Pakistani delegation arrived at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel for a meeting with US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. The US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mark Grossman and US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter were part of the US delegation while foreign secretary, Salman Bashir and Pakistani ambassador to US, Husain Haqqani consisted the Pakistani delegation chaired by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The meeting was originally scheduled for two hours but went-on for three and a half hours amidst tight security arrangements on the floor where the meeting was being held and around the hotel.
What questions should I've asked that I didn't? 