Call for dispelling the perception that Pakistan continued to harbor some militants

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PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has said that the post 2014 situation demanded addressing two major foreign policy challenges namely first, to remove the lingering perception that Pakistan continued to nurture some militants for advancing foreign policy and security agendas and second to put the Foreign Office in order by doing away with multiple sources articulating the foreign policy.

He said this while responding to briefing on the strategic vision of foreign policy to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs by Advisor Sartaj Aziz today.

He questioned whether the unprecedented May 23 march of the Sikhs on Parliament just two days ahead of PM Nawaz Sharif’s India visit was planned by those opposed to India Pak normalization. Past history shows that moves aimed at normalization were promptly reversed by some unusual developments on the ground. If the police had resorted to force on the marching Sikhs resulting in casualties the entire calculus of India’s visit would have been dramatically altered, he said. He said that the objective of reinforcing strategic partnership with China is most laudable but this partnership cannot be achieved without addressing the concerns about some militants allegedly operating from tribal areas in the Sinkiang province aimed at destabilizing Pakistan’s strategic partner.

Economic corridor to China alone will not strengthen the strategic partnership until we also addressed the concerns about foreign militants based in tribal areas planning violent incidents in the Chinese province. He said that the PPP welcomed the government’s professed claim to resort to economic diplomacy and liberalize trade with India and asked as to why the strategic vision was silent about the government plans now that elections in India had been held and a new government is already in place there.

Senator Farhatullah Babar also questioned the decision to abstain from voting on the Ukrainian resolution in the UN General Assembly in March last calling upon nations not to recognize any change in the status of Crimea. Absenting from vote means legitimizing change of national boundaries through force which is not only against the UN principles but also can have serious consequences for us in the future.