Talks with India impossible at present: Kh Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday ruled out chances of any formal talks with India in the prevailing circumstances saying that currently no Track-2 or Track-3 diplomacy is at work with the neighbouring country.

“Pakistan and India are not involved in any Track-2 or Track-3 diplomacy or talks. It is impossible in the present circumstances,” Khawaja Asif told a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence before talking informally to newspersons.

The minister said the National Security Adviser would take up the issue of Indian spy Kulbushan Yadhav and other matters during his visit to Iran.

Responding to a statement of the Afghan president regarding safe havens of the Taliban in Pakistan, he said Afghanistan should take back its refugees from Pakistan. “We have a categorical response to the statement. First they should take back their refugees and then we will eliminate the safe havens of the Taliban if there are any,” he said. The minister said that terrorists are present in Pakistan under the cover of Afghan refugees.

Asif said it was not possible to control terrorism without border management, adding Pakistan would not budge from its stance on this issue. “It is our right to control traffic coming to our side. I assure you that no Afghan national will cross the border without having the required documents,” he said.

Asif underlined the need for a national narrative which linked the continued presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, numbering almost three million, with the security situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan since it was difficult for Pakistan to monitor and regulate the presence of so many Afghan nationals in Pakistan, some of whom were involved in activities prejudicial to security and law and order.

The defence secretary, Lt Gen (retd) Alam Khattak, informed members of the standing committee that the Haqqani network was present in the Khost province of Afghanistan while Pakistani forces were carrying out operation against terrorists on their own territory. 

He maintained that there was no Durand Line now as there was an internationally recognised border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The committee meeting was chaired by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, in his opening remarks, underlined the importance of good relations with neighbours like Afghanistan and Iran in thecontext of regional stability, Pakistan’s national security interests and the deterioration of ties with India in the context of popular, spontaneous and widespread Kashmir issue.

Mushahid expressed hope that all these issues would be resolved through mutual consultation and mutual consent and there is no need for any over-reaction on account of stray incidents on Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The members of the committee also felt that there should be a clear national narrative because Pakistan has been a model in hosting the largest number of refugees for the longest duration in the modern history.

The Ministry of Defence provided a detailed briefing in chronological order regarding Pakistan-Afghanistan border management issues and reaffirmed that Pakistan was committed to good, cooperative relations with Afghanistan based on a strategic approach and mutual consent and consultation.

The officials of the Ministry of Defence informed the Committee that the border posts at Torkham which had now been rebuilt, is an official border and legal crossing where about 20,000 people cross every day from both sides and it will be formally inaugurated on first of next month with consultation of both neighbours. The committee was told that the US had sought details of movement of Afghan refugees.

Mushahid also briefed about his interaction with various countries on behalf of the Senate Defence Committee including ambassador of Turkey where he congratulated the Turkish people and the Turkish military high command for upholding the rule of law and the constitution in the wake of the abortive coup.

He also referred to his interaction with the ambassador of France when he went to the French Embassy to personally sign the condolence book for the act of terror in Nice as well as ambassador of Saudi Arabia whom he met after the heinous act of terror in Madina.

The Committee also took the public petition of Subhanuddin regarding his son’s medical treatment who was injured in the APS attack in December 2015 and arranged a meeting of the petitioner with the Ministry of Defence. The petitioner was also invited to the Senate Defence Committee for a meeting with the Chairman of the Committee on July 27.

In his concluding remarks, he thanked Khawaja Asif and the Ministry of Defence for their candid and comprehensive briefing. Mushahid underlined that the relationship with Afghanistan was one of the most pivotal for Pakistan’s national security and foreign policy.

He referred to the parliamentary security dialogue that was held between the Senate Defence Committee of Pakistan and their counterparts in the Afghanistan parliament and he felt that this inter-parliamentary security dialogue should be revived to restore confidence between the people and parliaments of the two countries. He also proposed that the Senate Defence Committee visit the border post at Torkham.

The committee meeting was attended by its members: Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Senator Sehar Kamran, Senator Ilyas Bilour, Senator Lt Gen (R) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Senator Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum, Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Hidayatullah, Senator Brig (R) John Kenneth Williams and Secretary of the Committee, Dr Syed Pervaiz Abbas.