ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday called on the world to acknowledge the military, economic, political and social costs paid by Pakistan in its successful fight against terrorism.
“Pakistan has successfully fought against terrorism while also contributing to regional peace. Pakistan has done much more for peace in Afghanistan than any other country,” the army chief said in a statement released by the military’s media wing.
Underscoring the nation’s contribution to regional peace, Gen Bajwa reminded the world that Pakistan’s contributions towards peace in neighbouring Afghanistan would not come at the cost of its own honour or security.
“We have paid the highest military, economic, political and social cost and the world should acknowledge that. We shall continue to contribute towards peace in Afghanistan but Pakistan’s honour and Pakistan’s security shall always stay premier,” he said.
Trump’s ‘baseless rhetoric unacceptable’
The army chief’s statement comes after Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned the United States Charge d’affaires earlier on Tuesday to lodge a protest over US President Donald Trump’s “unwarranted and unsubstantiated allegations” against the country.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua conveyed “her government’s disappointment on the recent tweets and comments by the US president” and told the US charge d’affaires “that such baseless rhetoric about Pakistan was totally unacceptable”, a statement issued by the FO read.
“Rejecting the insinuations about Osama Bin Laden, the foreign secretary reminded the US charge d’affaires that it was Pakistan’s intelligence cooperation that provided the initial evidence to trace the whereabouts of OBL,” it added.
Foreign Secretary told the US charge d’affaires that no other country had paid a heavier price than Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. The US leadership had acknowledged on multiple occasions that Pakistan’s cooperation had helped in decimating the core al Qaeda leadership and eradicating the threat of terrorism from the region, FO further said.
“The US must not forget that scores of top al Qaeda leaders were killed or captured by active Pakistani cooperation. Pakistan’s continued support to the efforts of international community in Afghanistan through ground/ air and sea lines of communication was unquestionably critical to the success of this Mission in Afghanistan,” the statement added.
“In the wake of recent US pronouncements to seek political settlement in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US were working in close coordination with other regional stake holders in order to end the prolonged conflict. At this critical juncture, baseless allegations about a closed chapter of history could seriously undermine this vital cooperation,” it said.
PM Imran fires back at Trump’s accusations
In tweets sent out Monday, Trump reiterated allegations that Pakistan was not doing enough to fight terrorism, while accusing Islamabad of helping hide al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
“Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did,” the US president tweeted, echoing remarks he gave to ‘Fox News Sunday’ that drew the ire of Pakistan.
“I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center,” he continued. “President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!”
In his interview on Sunday, the US president had said he canceled assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Pakistan earlier this year because “they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us.”
Trump had also told Fox News that bin Laden had lived “beautifully in Pakistan and what I guess in what they considered a nice mansion.”
But Prime Minister Imran Khan hit back at Trump’s hollow claims, calling on the US president to name an ally that had sacrificed more against militancy.
In a series of tweets, PM Imran Khan noted:
1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pakistan decided to participate in US War on Terror.
2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war and over $123 billion was lost to the economy. US “aid” was a minuscule $20 billion.
3. Our tribal areas were devastated and millions of people uprooted from their homes. This war drastically impacted the lives of ordinary Pakistanis.
4. Pakistan continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications (GLOCs/ALOCs).
