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Thursday March 28, 2024

US opposes changes to Pak territorial integrity: Congressman

By Wajid Ali Syed
December 18, 2018

WASHINGTON: The US does not support any changes to Pakistan's territorial integrity, and in fact should be pressuring the government in Kabul to recognise the Durand Line, said Congressman Brad Sherman, Chairman Emeritus of the Asia subcommittee of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Addressing a gathering of Pakistani dissidents organised under the banner of SAATH Forum, Congressman Sherman emphasised that Pakistan's concerns about Indian influence in Afghanistan should be addressed so that "it cannot be argued that Pakistan is in between two hostile states, one to the East and one to the West."

He said Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together to deal with various issues, which would also help Pakistani democracy by eliminating the perceived national security issues that it faces.

"One issue that's critical for the US Congress is Dr Shakeel Afridi. The Congress will not forget about Dr Afridi and would do whatever it takes to get him out of jail," the congressman said. He even offered his willingness to discuss Dr Afia Siddiqui in some sort of a swap.

"The idea that Pakistan would turn to its people and vilify a man who helped us destroy Osama bin Laden does not speak well for the future of Pakistan-US relations," he said. He said Pakistan's security assistance had been cut down and it would not be restored to major levels till Dr Afridi issue was dealt with.

The Congressman also announced that he would be introducing a legislation called 'Chinese Debt Trap Relief Act.' Criticising the view that Pakistan needs financial loans from the IMF to repay Chinese debt, he said, "We almost have a veto power on any IMF loans."

He said he had shared concerns with the administration that any IMF loan to Pakistan should not be convenient way to just pay China. Speaking to the audience at the Saath Forum's third annual conference here on Sunday, the congressman maintained that the US government had to work with the new government in Pakistan hinting that the recent elections in Pakistan that brought Imran Khan in power were problematic.

"We would like to see free and fair elections in Pakistan. I am not sure that the recent elections meet that standard," he said. He further stressed that the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was an important one based on honesty and respect for human rights.

"Pakistan will move forward when Islamabad respects religious and ethnic communities that make Pakistan up. Pakistan is a diverse country, and if that diversity is honored, it will work much better than if there is an effort to try to squeeze that diversity out," he said.

Congressman Sherman said he had urged the Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to raise such issues with Pakistani officials including forced disappearances, forced conversions and blasphemy laws that according to him do not speak well for the country.

Commending the Sindh Assembly for passing laws against forced conversions upon marriage, the congressman also recognised that Indian government continues to use sedition in criminal defamation laws against critics.

He underlined the importance of free media and freedom of expression saying that the only way to improve Pakistan's image in the world is not to muzzle any comment about any problem that exists.

He also criticised the government's decision to ban 18 non-government organizations. The Saath Forum, organized by Pakistan's former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani and US based columnist Dr Muhammad Taqi, had its conference titled 'Pakistan: After the elections' this weekend which was attended by prominent scholars, journalists and academics.

The concluding session also issued a declaration expressing grave concern over Pakistan's drift towards authoritarianism and weakening of civilian institutions. The declaration stated that in 2018, Pakistan strayed further away from being an inclusive, democratic and peaceful polity.

"Its economy is sinking, the opposition is being politically targeted, the media is facing unprecedented curbs and state institutions like the judiciary stand seriously compromised." According to the declaration, the participants unequivocally supported just and constitutional demands of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) through peaceful demonstrations.

The conference also called for further devolution of power to local level to empower communities and improve governance. It also reminded the government of its duty to ensure safety and protection of an independent media. Meanwhile, just eight members of PTI Virginia chapter protested against the conference outside the venue.