No guarantee against repeat of Mumbai-like attacks, Gates told

[Neo]

No guarantee against repeat of Mumbai-like attacks, Gates told

By Baqir Sajjad Syed and Iftikhar A. Khan
Friday, 22 Jan, 2010

Greater intelligence sharing between Pak, US: Kayani

ISLAMABAD: The government said on Thursday it could not guarantee against repeat of 26/11 like attacks in India and the best safeguard against such strikes was de-linking of peace process from action against terrorism and the Kashmir and water disputes.

“Pakistan is itself facing Mumbai-like attacks almost every other day and when we cannot protect our own citizens, how can we guarantee that there wouldn’t be any more terrorist hits in India,” Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was quoted by a source as having told the visiting US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, who called on him. Pakistan suffered its worst year of terrorist violence last year, with more than 3,000 people killed.

Secretary Gates had in India warned that Pakistan-based militants, who had links with Al Qaeda, were planning strikes in India with the hope that retaliation would lead to a new conflict.

In his bid to raise pressure on Pakistan to act against militant groups targeting India, the secretary had said that New Delhi, unlike the restraint shown after Mumbai incident, was not apt to holding back if attacked again.

Prime Minister Gilani recalled the steps taken against militant groups saying they had been outlawed and their network was disrupted. In an apparent reference to Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been accused by India of masterminding the Mumbai attack but has been released on court orders, the prime minister said his government could not prosecute anyone without evidence.

India, which had suspended the Composite Dialogue with Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai attack, has been refusing to resume it without ‘credible action against alleged perpetrators’ despite a commitment at Sharm El Sheikh that the peace talks would be de-linked from action against terrorism.

Mr Gilani regretted India’s obstinacy, stating that as long as India held the peace process hostage to progress on terrorism, forward movement in normalisation of ties was unlikely.

“Pakistan is committed to peace in the region and in this context has been making sincere efforts to resume Composite Dialogue with India, but the response from the other side has not been encouraging. Relations between India and Pakistan should not become hostage to the activities of terrorists.

For lasting peace in the region, both countries should resolve core issues, including Kashmir and water disputes,” a statement by the prime minister’s office quoted him as having said.

BRIDGING TRUST DEFICIT

The prime minister presented a roadmap for bridging the trust deficit between Islamabad and New Delhi.

The prime minister’s roadmap sought evenhandedness by US vis-à-vis Pakistan and India, stoppage of unmanned drone attacks in Pakistan’s territory, immediate disbursement of Coalition Support Fund arrears and deletion of Pakistan from the list of countries whose nationals face special screening at US airports.

“Trust deficit could be minimised by improving perceptions and developing people to people contact between the two countries,” he said.

The US defence secretary also met President Asif Ali Zardari, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Joint Chiefs of the Staff Committee Chairman Gen Tariq Majid and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

The security situation in the region and the US plans to commit another troops in Afghanistan came under discussion during the meeting.

During his meeting with President Zardari, security situation in the region, drone attacks, payment of CSF arrears, fight against militancy, drug trafficking, the new US screening regime and strengthening of Pakistan’s law-enforcement agencies were discussed.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, spokesperson to the president Farhatullah Babar said Mr Zardari emphasised that the issue of CSF arrears amounting to about $2 billion be resolved at the earliest.

The president said that the economic cost of the war against terror amounting to $35 billion for the last eight years had impacted on Pakistan’s economy adversely and the amount under CSF had actually been spent by Pakistan. It needed to be reimbursed urgently.

“Pakistan has been facing delays in payments of CSF claims,” the president informed the defence secretary, calling for timely reimbursement of arrears.

Reviewing the overall security situation, the president welcomed US affirmation of commitment to Pakistan’s stability and security. “Ties must be based on mutual respect and trust.”

Mr Zardari expressed reservations over the new screening regime for Pakistanis, saying that it had caused resentment and called for a review.

About the drone attacks on Pakistani territory, the president said that it undermined the national consensus against the war on militancy and called for creating a mechanism whereby the drones were used by Pakistan’s security forces rather than by foreign troops.

Mr Zardari said it was critical that national consensus on war against militancy was not allowed to erode and anything that tended to weaken it was avoided.

The president said that when Pakistan’s security forces employed high-tech in the war it had no negative fallout. “If our own security forces possess drones it will be a more helpful high-tech weapon of war than when it is used by foreign forces.”

He called for strengthening law-enforcement agencies and provision of equipment for fighting militants.The president emphasised the need for early adoption of legislation in the US on reconstruction opportunity zones (RoZs) in tribal areas.

Referring to the new US Afghan strategy, Mr Zardari said Pakistan had a stake in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and urged US to show more sensitivity to Pakistan’s concerns. US actions should remain on the Afghan side of the border, he added.

President Zardari underlined the need for controlling drugs which, he said, was serving as “a force multiplier” to the benefit of militants.

Mr Gates appreciated Pakistan’s role in the war against extremism and militancy and assured full support in the fight against militancy as well as economic rehabilitation.