‘PPP never played games on issues of foreign policy, national interest’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman Wednesday said that the government should have taken parliament into confidence before the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the US.
“Washington is always considered a key capital for Islamabad, and the bilateral agenda may have benefitted us with more robust advice from political parties and resource-persons in Pakistan. The PPP government always discussed issues of vital national importance such as this with parliament, because it sets an important bipartisan tone for strategic issues and policy-momentum,” she said while talking to the newsmen here Wednesday.
Sherry said that the PPP has never played games on issues of foreign policy and national interest, but questions remain as to what truths will be told by both sides, and what will be bargained in Washington. “While the Foreign Office has clarified on the nuclear discussion, one hopes that Pakistan’s position on its deterrence posture will be discussed with clarity. The imbalance in the region given India’s 123 civil nuclear deal still leads to disquiet, especially given the fungible nature of dual-use material which is open to military use,” Sherry said.
She stressed that important questions about Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, and the scale of American security assistance to Kabul need to be addressed during the PM’s meeting. “If Pakistan is once again left with the debris of a long war and accusations in Afghanistan then it will be the result of the government’s inability to use the power of parliament to make a case that it can credibly advance”? she said. “Kabul is a sovereign country, and it must make its own terms for peace. Pakistan can only play a supportive role,” noted Sherry.
She said there is no need for Pakistan to be on the defensive if it has to do the heavy lift of policing a literally open border that no international player bothered to manage over the last 14 years, even for narcotics interdiction. “Terrorists are a global challenge to all states, and they require collaborative solutions, beyond just CSF reimbursements,” she said.
She said the United States has also provided a great deal of non-loan grant aid to Pakistan over a certain period, and there must be some level of appreciation for that, although much of it has been disbursed unwisely. “In any case, now it is time to bring up what Pakistan really needs, which is access to US markets for our goods, and visas for our students. Right now, under the new US-driven Trans-Pacific Partnership in the Far East, Pakistan may lose many of its existing exports given that the US is our largest bilateral trading partner,” she said.
Senator sherry Rehman said she would definitely put on the table American support, not necessarily aid, with big signature energy projects. “We had started preliminary work on the Bhasha Dam and Dasu project by mid-2013. Those need US-backed support from multilateral organisations. This is the time to ask for it,” she added.
The PPP Vice President said when asked about India, she said that “I assume that New Delhi’s new doctrine of coercive posturing with Islamabad will be on the table, as will our own actions to enable constructive bilateral dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. ‘Even if non-interference in Pak-India issues is the stated norm, peace in South Asia is an even more important priority of US policy,” she added.
Given concerns over regional stability issues, Sherry concluded that clarity on the US’ Sahel to South Asia alliance should be sought before any commitment is made during the visit.