Skip to main content

Revamping Pak-US ties, not different than past: Mushahid



Mushahid Hussain Sayed - File Photo
By: Haroon Baloch


Country's leading foreign policy expert and Pakistan Muslim League's Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed termed Pakistan - US relationships a chute-the-chute and need-based journey, characterized with abrupt and extreme changes.


New Terms of Engagement with US
"United States requires Pakistan's cooperation in combating terror war and Pakistan looks for financial assistance. These need-based ties would proceed ahead the way they were in the past", said Mushahid Hussain Sayed adding that ups and downs are foreseeable and what we experienced four months back was mere a demonstration of the United State's callous attitude.

Pakistan has time and again said parliamentary process will give us a confidence and a broad ground to interact with United States. "I believe parliamentary process will pave the road to our new cooperation with United States on more concrete grounds. Pakistan urges the ties with United States on the basis of equality, mutual trust and respect", foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said during the stakeout.

"Americans were sole responsible of this time's episode that provided us a chance to gather whole nation's aspirations on same page", told Mushahid Hussain Sayed to this correspondent.

ISLAMABAD: FM Hina Rabbani Khar addressing at a joint stakeout
Parliamentary process is still underway to finalize the future terms of engagement with the United States and the NATO-led-ISAF forces fighting in Afghanistan. Parliamentary committee on national security, after extensive rounds of consultations with all the stakeholders including Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, has already chalked out a draft of recommendations deemed to be endorsed by the joint session of the parliament.

Iran-Pakistan gas policy
While talking about the Pakistan-Iran(IP) gas pipeline project the foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar was of the view we believe there won't be any sanction or hard consequences. Pakistan reserves the right to fulfill its energy needs and IP is a legitimate and viable project for Pakistan, she further added.

She also sought," this will expand our cooperation with international players instead of contracting it", further added the world will respect our new terms of engagement.

A changed and more lenient stance of US diplomats in Islamabad have exhibited on this project. The US deputy chief of mission in Islamabad Richard Hoagland told this correspondent that United States understands Pakistan's energy needs that are legitimate and is working with Pakistan in exploring various ways. IP is not something going to be completed in a day or even in a year. "United States is not threatening Pakistan about Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project", Hoagland emphasized and further added that United States is also investing millions of dollars in Pakistan's energy projects.

ISLAMABAD: After Interviewing Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed 
Senator Mushahid contended Pakistan has resisted to the United States' pressure about IP and has decided to follow the policy coherent with our best economic and security interests. "Pakistan might have been facing financial difficulties in its (IP project's) execution, but we fight with them", said Mushahid Hussain.

He further said Pakistan's decision is in line with the overall framework of our foreign policy where Pakistan stresses for the regional integration and its ties with the neighbors including Afghanistan, India and Iran.

Iran's Nuke Program
Israel and western powers keep tons of apprehensions on Iran's nuclear program. Despite reiterating denials Israel believes Iran'snuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, ultimately a threat to the existence of only Jewish state.

Israeli premier Benjamin Natanyahu has not rule out the option of strike on Iran's nuclear installments if international sanctions failed in stopping nuclear program.

Pakistan always advocated for the dialogue to find the resolution of all issues binding with Iran's nuclear program. "Our region is not capable enough for hosting a new hostility", Foreign Minister Khar said while addressing a media gathering in Islamabad.

While answering questions of this correspondent whether an attack on Iran would be a potential threat for Pakistan's nuclear program as well, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed told our nuclear program disturbs west as well as India, but at the same time it is widely accepted reality.

He contended, "Now apprehensions relate to Iran or North Korean nuclear programs. Pakistan secured its nuclear program more effectively in a way that we maintained our legitimate stance strengthening it with national consensus". "As far as attack on Iran is concerned, I rule out the option of direct strike, although they are more concerned about it", he said.

Yes, they will exert more pressure and propagate against Iran and Pakistan's nuclear programs, however, won't dare to attack them, Mushahid Hussain Sayed asserted.
Labels:
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changing environment and Pakistan’s crises

Haroon Baloch January 07, 2011 The pace of development in South Asia has always remained questionable, mainly attributed to outsized populations. China, the world’s largest population, neighbors the second largest India, as well as the seventh largest population Pakistan. Environmental concerns of the region are reciprocal to their populations. Developed industrial countries are considered responsible for the international environmental crises, while developing countries bear the brunt of negative consequences as they lack resources and capabilities to control this grave problem.  In Pakistan, pity natural resource management over years and high population growth exacerbated environmental menace. Yet having strategically important location in the region, the country faces serious threats in terms of food security and energy crises mainly due to shortage of water, an issue which is drastically ambiguous. Sufficiency in agriculture production highly depends on the...
1 comment
Read more

UPR review — keeping fingers crossed

November 17, 2017 By Haroon Baloch Pakistan submitted national report for its human rights review under a unique and important UN mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review. It presents a flowery picture of everything good in the country from civil and political rights to economic and cultural rights, gender rights and the rights of minorities. Then why do Pakistanis make such a hue and cry? Why televisions and newspapers are thronged with rights violations? And who brought them to the lime light? Definitely these liars have nothing to do with patriotism and the country — are they traitors? Attacks on journalists, kidnappings, torture and threats to them and their families are common in Pakistan, and these are done with absolute impunity The review is taking place in Geneva today, and Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif is leading a large Pakistani delegation at the Human Rights Council. Last time, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar presented this report and made sev...
1 comment
Read more

Before the Afghan Peace Process: The Need for Islamabad to Combat Internal Challenges

By: Haroon Baloch Good governance has been receding in Pakistan and tensions are mounting. The public has cherished its civilian rule during the past three and a half years, and has seen a debilitating yet resilient economy, maintaining a 2.5 percent growth rate. Still, external debts have crossed $64 billion, unemployment hovers over 6.2 percent, and the poverty rate, at 37.5 percent, is increasing with double figure inflation. Once thought to be the next Asian tiger, as was former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif’s dream for Pakistan, the country is now considered a struggling economy in South Asia. During the 1990s, Sharif vowed to reduce corruption, improve infrastructure, and encourage growth in modern technologies. He privatized banks and industries, suspending the policies of nationalization promoted by former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s. However, even with these changes, institutions in the country were never strengthened. In the 90s, the co...
1 comment
Read more