US told about Pak concerns over CSF stoppage

LAHORE: Pakistan on Sunday informed the United States of its concerns about stopping the installment of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF).
National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz, while talking to senior analyst Najam Sethi and Muneeb Farooq in the Geo News programme ‘Aapas Ki Baat’, said that talks were held with the visiting US National Adviser Susan Rice on Prime Nawaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to the United States, bilateral relations and regional situation, with special reference to Afghanistan and India.
He said Rice, who gave a presentation on the vision of President Obama, was informed about the reason behind the cancellation of Pakistan-India NSA meeting and the ceasefire violations on the Line of Control. Rice, he said, talked in favour of the Indo-Pak dialogue.
Sartaj said the Afghan government was perturbed at the recent wave of violence in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan was making efforts to improve the situation in the neighbouring country.
He said there could be no peace in the country without peace in Afghanistan. The Haqqani network’s infrastructure had been destroyed in Pakistan and the elements present there were involved in terror activities in Afghanistan, he said.
The national security adviser said the talks between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban would be started again only after their leadership issue was resolved, adding that no appreciable success could be achieved in eliminating them through war.
He said Pakistan, the United States, China and Afghanistan could choose a better option by sitting together.
Sartaj said India cancelled the talks by imposing preconditions and tried to solve the dispute on the Ufa declaration through the media. He said it was decided at Ufa that all issues would be discussed in the next talks but India wanted to hold a dialogue on her conditions.
He made it clear that going for talks without meeting the Hurriyat leaders and focusing on only terrorism was not acceptable and the dialogue would be held on all issues. He said the Rangers-BSF talks between Pakistan and India would be held soon.
Sartaj said India was interfering in Balochistan and other parts of the country while using the Afghan soil. The world would know who was creating tension at the border, if India gave access to the UN Observers Group, he noted.
He said there had been a marked improvement in Pak-US ties during the last two years and the dialogue at six different levels had resumed. Rice was informed, he said, about the need for multi-dimensional Pak-US talks on Afghanistan.
Sartaj said apart from security, the government wanted improved relations with the US in the fields of trade, investment and education and aimed at giving a positive message to the US media and investors about Pakistan.
Najam Sethi, in his analysis, said the US will continue with the ‘do more’ demand, adding that both the US and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani felt that Pakistan could influence the Taliban.
According to Sethi, any tension between India and Pakistan makes the US anxious and it intervenes whenever there is a fear of an Indo-Pak war.
About the Karachi operation, he said the PPP suspected that some of the party men were involved in illegal actions and that’s was the reason for not opting for a strong protest. He said people are happy with the operation but it is creating constitutional and legal complications.
Dr Asim is facing the charge that his hospital’s ambulances were used for trafficking weapons, thus linking him to supporting terrorism, Sethi added.
He said the arrested Sui Southern officials had issued LNG, LPG and CNG licences whose money was used for purchasing arms.
Sethi said some editorials were suggesting that the Rangers was crossing some red lines, resulting in political tension. The Rangers should explain before taking such steps as an impression was developing that the army was working on a long-term agenda, he said, adding that the military establishment would have to counter the notion.