‘Mansour strike spoiled ties’

Pakistan on Friday told visiting senior US officials that a recent US drone strike in Balochistan province — that killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour — had “vitiated bilateral ties.”

Ambassador Richard Olson, US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and Dr Peter Lavoy, senior adviser and director for South Asian affairs at the National Security Council arrived in Islamabad early Friday weeks after a US drone attack killed the Afghan Taliban chief at a time when efforts were underway to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table.

The US delegation held talks with adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry at the foreign ministry and held candid discussions on bilateral relations, regional security situation and the Afghan peace process in the wake of May 21 drone strike in Balochistan, the foreign ministry said.

“The adviser conveyed a strong message to the United States that the 21 May drone strike was not only a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and breach of the principles of the United Nation’s charter, but has also vitiated bilateral ties,” a foreign ministry statement said.

“It was emphasised that any future drone strike in Pakistan will be detrimental to our common desire to strengthen relations,” the statement further said.

The adviser further expressed his concern that the drone strike had seriously undermined the ongoing efforts for Afghan peace and reconciliation process at a time when Pakistan, along with other Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) countries, was engaged in serious efforts to revive peace talks between Afghan government and the Taliban.

The foreign secretary recalled that in QCG’s fifth meeting on 18 May in Islamabad, it was decided that peace negotiations remained the only option for a political settlement.

He emphasised that this would require collective efforts on the part of all QCG members to promote lasting peace in Afghanistan.

In response to US queries on safe havens for Taliban, it was emphasised that Pakistan is already pursuing its objective of eliminating all militants and terrorists from its soil in accordance with an anti-terror policy known as the National Action Plan.

Pakistani side asked the US. officials to push the Afghan government take action against the Pakistani militants on the Afghan side of the border.

“Pakistan also expects action by Afghan forces against TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) operatives in Afghanistan. These steps would also help to promote better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan and reduce mistrust,” the statement quoted Pakistani officials as telling the US officials.

Dr Peter Lavoy said that President Barrack Obama was committed to improving relations with Pakistan as emphasised during Prime Minister’s visit to Washington in October 2015, the statement said.

He also conveyed President Obama’s good wishes for the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif’s speedy recovery, who is in London after his recent open heart surgery.

The adviser to the Prime Minister on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, warned on Thursday that the drone attack would have ‘long-lasting implications’ for the relationship.

Pakistani officials believe that the US strike that had killed the Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour on May 21, has also undermined the diplomatic efforts for peace process in Afghanistan.

Official sources say that the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson and senior director for South Asian affairs at the National Security Council Peter Lavoy are among the US officials who will hold talks with senior Pakistani civil and military leaders.

“Pakistan would record its protest over the drone strike in Balochistan during today’s meeting with United States delegation,” the adviser said ahead of the talks.

Pakistanis believe that on one hand Washington seeks the country’s role to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table but on the other it has itself killed already dim chances for the peace process.

Islamabad denies sheltering Taliban and officials insist that Pakistan hosts nearly three million Afghans, over million un-registered, and there would be possibility of some Taliban living among them.

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan challenged those countries who blame Pakistan for giving safe heavens to the Afghan Taliban and said Pakistani would protect the Taliban chief, Mansour, had his country support the Taliban leaders.

Pakistan is also upset at what it believes “discriminatory policy” by Washington to deal Pakistan and India in respect of its quest for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group to non-NPT countries.

President Obama this week endorsed India’s bid for NSG’s membership during his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at White House.

However, the US is silent on Pakistan’s call for its membership, which is seen as another major irritant in bilateral relations.

“We have been constantly reminding the United States to be mindful of maintaining a security balance for peace in the region,” the Pakistani adviser said.