Washington, Mar.28 (ANI): The US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrook has said that the insurgency in Pakistan along the Afghan border is the most daunting situation that the US is facing presently.
Talking to media persons right after President Barack Obama unveiled a new policy for fghanistan, Holbrooke said that the US is very concerned about dealing with the problem on the western border of Pakistan.
“And our superiors would all freely admit that of all the dilemmas and challenges we face, that is going to be the most daunting,” The Dawn quoted Holbrook, as saying.
He said the US is facing constraints of Islamabad’s ‘red line’ policy, which is certainly preventing it from taking major action against the outlawed terror groups operating from akistani soil.
“The red line is unambiguous and stated publicly by the Pakistani government ‘no foreign troops on our soil’,” he said.
When enquired about the Obama Administration’s decision to continue the drone strikes on milltant hideouts inside Pakistan, Holbrooke said it would be not be appropriate to disclose the issue, as it could endanger future military operations in the region.
hile the United States claims that the Predator drone strikes in the ungoverned tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have been successful with scores of top Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders being killed, Pakistan, on number of occasion has opposed the missile hits saying it is proving counterproductive in the ‘war on terror’, besides killing innocent civilians. (ANI)
Pak won’t allow US to cross ‘red line’ under any circumstances: FO
Islamabad, Sep.18 (ANI): Amid reports of a massive expansion of the US’ Islamabad embassy, Pakistan has said that it would never allow the American troops to carry out military operations from its soil.
Addressing a weekly briefing Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Islamabad would not allow the US to cross the ‘red line’ under any circumstance.
“We would not allow, under any circumstances, operations by US forces inside Pakistan. We have conveyed this several times to our US interlocutors and this is one of our red lines,” Basit said.
Referring to US Chief of Army Staff Admiral Mike Mullen’s statement that Pakistan is facing a threat both from the east and the west, Basit said Mullen’s comments were true in the sense that Pakistan ‘has issues with India and is simultaneously battling terrorism on the western border.’
Commenting on the Obama Administration’s decision to maintain the long standing accountability measures over the aid being provided to Pakistan, he said Islamabad also supports ‘transparency and accountability at every stage’, but asked the US to reduce the administrative cost of the proposed assistance.
“What we have been saying is that we would like to reduce the administrative cost … so that it is cost-effective and maximum benefits reach the people of Pakistan,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying.
When asked about the US Ambassador Anne Patterson’s claims that America has so far provided three billion dollars as aid to Pakistan, he said: “I would refer you to the Finance Ministry, since it is better placed to answer this question.”
He also refused comment on a report that claimed the Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani had leaked classified information to an Indian media house.
“As you used the word ‘reportedly’, it will not be appropriate for me to comment in public on such official matters,” Basit said. (ANI)