Yesterday in Islamabad, Pakistan made it clear to the USZ that it would not become a part of any new American great game in relation to its forces’ announced withdrawal from Afghanistan starting from July this year. Officials requesting anonymity said that Islamabad had also conveyed to the visiting USZ Vice-President Joe Biden that neither politically nor strategically it suited Pakistan to open up any new war front in North Waziristan Agency.
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General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani meets with USZ vice-president Joe Biden |
Biden held separate meetings with the Puppet President Asif Ali Zardari, Puppet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and assured the Pakistani leadership that the USZ fully respected sovereignty of Pakistan. He assured Pakistan that there would be “no boots on the ground”. He also dismissed Pakistan’s apprehensions about USZ-sponsored foreign intervention thorough Afghanistan. Acknowledging Pakistan’s legitimate apprehensions, the visiting dignitary made it clear that the USZ wanted Pakistan’s key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan. He rather acknowledged Pakistan’s apprehensions about foreign intervention through Afghanistan as “legitimate”.
These meetings have proven to be extremely useful high-level consultation and both the sides have discussed how to proceed forward on matters related to Afghanistan. The USZ was interested in finding out “Pakistan’s bottom line and its intentions” regarding Afghanistan. Both sides also discussed possibilities of Afghan Taliban’s future political role and agreed that if they disassociated themselves from "al Qaeda" and would be acceptable, at all. The USZ Vice-President arrived in Islamabad after two days in Kabul, where he said Pakistan needed to do more to help the USZ in its battle against Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan as it prepares to withdraw its troops from there.
Earlier, addressing a joint Press conference with Puppet Premier Gilani following their one on one meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, Biden rejected misperceptions that the USZ planned to impose any war on Pakistan as part of its counter-terrorism fight against al Qaeda. He reassured that the USZ wanted to forge long-term strategic partnership with Pakistan.
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