War of words

ISLAMABAD: The war of words between Islamabad and Washington intensified on Friday when Pakistan told the United States to take a reality check, and instead of sending out warning remember that “allies do not put each other on notice”.

Spokesman at the Foreign Office was responding to some wild accusations and threats from US Vice President Mike Pence who, while on a visit to Kabul, said, "For too long has Pakistan provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over. President Trump has put Pakistan on notice. As the president said, so I say now: Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the US, and Pakistan has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists.”

The FO spokesman responded: “Instead of Pakistan, on notice should be those factors responsible for exponential increase in drug production, expansion of ungoverned spaces, industrial scale corruption, breakdown of governance, and letting Daesh gain a foothold in Afghanistan.”

It was quite clear that despite the US troops presence in Afghanistan for decades they have been unable to defeat the “ragtag” Taliban, and blaming Pakistan for an ungovernable Afghanistan is the easiest thing to do.

It is now a tradition for US officials to have tailor made anti Pakistan ready for delivery whenever they are in Kabul and New Delhi .

“The statement [from Pence] is at variance with the extensive conversations we have had with the US Administration. Externalising blame should be put on notice, while focusing on creating peace and reconciliation mechanisms,” added the spokesman.

Reuters adds from Kabul: Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to meet its leaders and underscore US commitment to the country four months after President Donald Trump agreed to an open-ended war against insurgents here.

Pence arrived on a military plane at Bagram Airfield under the cover of darkness on Thursday night after leaving Washington on Wednesday night.

He then flew by helicopter to Kabul, where he met President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah at the presidential palace.

Pence told the leaders he hoped his presence there was tangible evidence that the United States was "here to see this through. "In a reversal of his campaign call for a swift withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, Trump in August pledged a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents and signaled the United States would send more troops to fight in what is the longest war in its history.

At the end of August, there were some 11,000 US troops in Afghanistan and more have since arrived.

Ghani expressed gratitude to the US government and said Afghanistan´s partnership with the United States was cemented in sacrifice.

Pence told reporters the strategy of increased troops on the ground and greater authorities for military leaders was paying dividends.

"The results are really beginning to become evident around the country," he said, adding that Ghani and Abdullah had said "they´ve begun to see a sea change in the attitudes among the Taliban."

According to Voice of America Urdu service, Pence said that President Trump has given authority to American troops to target terrorists and extremists wherever they are holed up.

Pence said their hope was that "eventually the enemy will tire of losing" and be willing to talk peace.Asked if more troops would be needed, Pence said that would be a decision for Trump in the days ahead. Pence said he pressed the Afghan leaders for political reforms and Ghani assured him that an election commission was developing a framework for parliamentary elections in 2018.

The short visit to Afghanistan, originally part of the Middle East trip, was shrouded in secrecy for security reasons.

Reporters traveling with the vice president were asked not to reveal his whereabouts until after the delegation arrived back at the air base from Kabul and Pence had addressed US troops. Pence almost did not make it to the presidential palace. The helicopters he and others were flying in came close to turning back to Bagram because of poor visibility, but the pilots were able to find a route in the end, a White House official said.

Pence repeated his promise of US commitment to the region during remarks to troops at Bagram.

"Under President Donald Trump, the armed forces of the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan until we eliminate the terrorist threat to our homeland, our people once and for all," Pence said.

News Desk adds: Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, responded to US Vice President Mike Pence's statement, saying that such statements by US officials can affect the war against terrorism.

"Pakistani forces took effective action against terrorists and no one has ever done what Pakistan did against terrorism," said Maj Gen Ghafoor in an interview to a private TV channel on Friday.

"Pakistan and the US have had cordial ties; we do not need aid from the US, but mutual trust."

The Pakistani military spokesman said that Afghanistan's war was imposed on Pakistan and stressed on the need for elimination of terror dens inside Afghanistan.

"Pakistan has repeatedly urged for eliminating TTP leadership present inside Afghanistan," he said.

The Pak Army general further stressed management on the Afghan side of border between the two countries, noting that Pakistan fenced its own side.

He said the two countries should have intelligence sharing. Commenting further on US statements, Ghafoor said the Pakistan has responded to the US allegations on Foreign Office level, adding, "Such statements can affect the war against terrorism."

Earlier this week, the US insisted that Pakistan take a "decisive action against militant and terrorist groups operating from its soil", as President Donald Trump unveiled a new national security strategy underlining the country's interests and objectives worldwide.

"We have made it clear to Pakistan that while we desire a continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory," Trump said, announcing the new national security strategy at the White House on Monday. "And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan; they have to help."

Speaking with regard to Coalition Support Fund, he said Pakistan got funds under the CSF for the amount it spent on the war.

"Pakistan isn't fighting the war against terrorism for the sake of money," the DG ISPR maintained.

Speaking with regard to border violations by India, he stated that India committed most ceasefire violations in 2017, targeting innocent civilians in Azad Kashmir.

About Pakistan's nuclear assets, Maj Gen Ghafoor said, "Our nuclear assets are safe and the US has itself admitted this."

Our Ghallanai correspondent adds: Three paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel were martyred when Afghanistan-based militants attacked a border security post in Mohmand Agency on Friday, officials said.

"The terrorists fired from across the border on the Frontier Corps (FC) troops busy in construction of new border post at Shunkrai near Pak-Afghan border in Mohmand Agency. Three FC soldiers - Havaldar Munir Khan, Lance Naik Irshad Hussain and Sepoy Haq Nawaz Khan - embraced shahadat," said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) through a statement.

The protection party, it said, responded and killed five terrorists and caused injuries to another five.

"The fleeing terrorists were seen carrying back bodies and the injured. Pakistan is paying price of Afghan forces' lack of capacity and ungoverned spaces on Afghan side of the border," it added.

The officials of political administration said that the militants attacked the Shunkrai Kandao border post early in the morning.

They said that three personnel of the Swat Scouts, which is a wing of the paramilitary FC, were martyred in the attack.

They said that the security forces returned the fire. They said attackers fled to Afghanistan after the exchange of fire.