Mohammad Jamil
Chairman of the U.S. Senate Arms Services Committee, Senator John McCain arrived in Pakistan on Saturday as the head of a congressional delegation including Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Joe Donnelly for talks on how to reduce tensions between the two countries. On Thursday, two days before the arrival of the delegation, John McCain in an interview with local TV channel Dunya News, said: “Neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan could be blamed for the situation in Afghanistan, as it were Obama s policies that worsened the situation. It would not be wrong to say that he has given clean chit to Pakistan. In November 2015, Senator John McCain had admitted that Pakistan Army under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif achieved great successes. However, it appears that the US is playing ‘good cop bad cop’.
One member of the US administration or from senate appreciates Pakistan for having given tremendous sacrifices, whereas another one lambasts Pakistan accusing it of supporting the Taliban and providing safe haven to Haqqani network. Pakistan indeed carried out operation in Waziristan without any discrimination; and it would not like to obscure the chances of peace by going after the Taliban leaders, as the US did in case of Mullah Mansour. Anyhow, the purpose of the visit of the US delegation is to address Pakistan’s concerns. The U.S. Congress blocked Pakistan’s purchase of subsidized F-16 fighter aircraft for its fight against insurgents in the difficult mountainous terrain in early May. The administration had earlier committed to pay 430 million U.S. dollars in subsidies through the U.S. foreign military’s financing budget of the jets valued at nearly 700 million dollars, whereas Pakistan’s share was only 270 million dollars.
The decision had disappointed Pakistan as the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama had provisionally approved the sale of eight F-16s in February this year. Secondly, on May 21a U.S. spy aircraft killed the Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Balochistan that sparked angry reaction in the country. Pakistan said the U.S. drone attacks are violation of the country’s sovereignty and also detrimental to the efforts for Afghan peace. Official and diplomatic sources said the objective of the visit of the top U.S. officials is to address the concerns of Pakistan. In this regard, McCain held talks with Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, the military said. “Pakistan and the U.S. need to cement relations in all dimensions and must strive for greater coordination for optimal deliverance of peace dividend in the region.
McCain, while acknowledging Pakistan’s successes in major army operations in the tribal regions against Taliban militants, said Pakistan Army’s achievements in counter-terrorism operations are phenomenal and reflect Pakistan’s determination to eliminate terrorism. Pakistan Army Chief reportedly told the U.S. delegation about Pakistan’s successes in war on terror, and stressed the need for an effective border management across the long porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border to check illegal movement on either side of the border. Earlier during the day, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Olson called on the Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif. He also held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry. Unfortunately, the US policy has not been consistent, yet it is to be seen whether the US would review its policy towards Pakistan, and stop asking to do more.
