PM Abbasi chairs NSC meeting after Trump’s anti-Pakistan tirade

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday chaired the meeting of National Security Committee to deliberate upon the way forward in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s recent anti-Pakistani remarks.

The meeting, continued for three hours, reviewed security situation at eastern and western borders and Pakistan’s diplomatic policy besides regional situation.

Sources said the meeting also deliberated on US President Donald Trump’s accusations and ground realities.

The Committee noted its deep disappointment with some of the recent statements articulated by the American leadership.

“The Committee reaffirmed that Pakistanis are a people who hold dear their national pride, who are capable of defending their country, and who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to counter terrorism and to work for regional peace and stability.”

“The Committee reached a consensus that despite all unwarranted allegations Pakistan cannot act in haste and will remain committed to playing a constructive role towards an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, not just for the sake of its own people, but also for the peace and security of the region and international community.”

The NSC observed Pakistan could not be held responsible for the collective failure in Afghanistan and that blaming allies certainly did not serve the shared objective of achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region.

The Committee observed that the close interaction with the US leadership following the initial pronouncement of President Trump’s policy on South Asia had been useful in creating a better understanding of each other’s perspectives on the best way forward to achieve durable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

It observed that Pakistan had fought the war against terrorism primarily out of its own resources and at a great cost to its economy, and that even more importantly the huge sacrifices made by Pakistan, including the loss of tens of thousands of lives of Pakistani civilians and security personnel, and the pain of their families, could not be trivialized so heartlessly by pushing all of it behind a monetary value – and that too an imagined one.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqab, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat, National Security Advisor Nasir Janjua and other high ranking civil and military officials attended the meeting.

Khawaja Asif’s Challenge To Donald Trump

Following the meeting, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif challenged President Trump saying the US President quoted figure of $33billion given to Pakistan over last 15yrs,Trump can hire a US based Audit firm on our expense to verify this figure and let the world know who is lying and deceiving.

Corps Commanders’ Conference

Earlier, the top military leadership reviewed evolving geo-strategic environment and internal security situation, Inter Services Public Relations said.

According to ISPR, the media wing of the military, the 207th Corps Commanders' Conference was held at GHQ Tuesday. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa presided over the Commanders’ conference.

“Evolving geo-strategic environment and internal security situation reviewed”, says the statement issued here.

The forum also discussed input for National Security Committee meeting.

“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”, Trump had tweeted late Monday.