WASHINGTON: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi has concluded his visit to the United States without meeting any senior official of the new Trump administration but he still termed his visit successful in enhancing the understanding between the two countries.
Addressing media persons at the Pakistan Embassy here on Thursday, Fatemi said he held productive meetings with influential Republicans and Democrats but meeting senior Trump administration officials was not appropriate at this time.
“I cannot request meetings with officials who are senior than I at a time when they have just been nominated and they have not held meetings with other foreign officials,” he said while responding to a question about the timing of his visit.
However, Fatemi said the visit was an excellent opportunity to explain Pakistan’s perspective to his US counterparts on key issues such as governance, economy, counter-terrorism efforts, etc.
“I wanted to meet influential Republicans before they are nominated as this process ensures lasting relationship,” he said. He mentioned his meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, incumbent National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Bob Corker and Senator John McCain.
Mr Fatemi remarked that though the Trump administration was not yet in place, Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the new President-elect and his team with particular focus on economic linkages and trade that formed a common denominator in the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President-elect Donald Trump.
The senior diplomat arrived last week to establish initial contacts with the Trump administration. He said the primary purpose of his current official visit to the US was to touch base with the outgoing US administration by reviewing progress in the current bilateral relations and forge links with the new US administration that would assume office in January 2017.
He said Pakistan had informed the United States that it was committed to fighting terrorism but being a sovereign state it would decide the pace and scale of counter-terror operation according to its own capacity.
“Are you interested in success of the campaign or tactics of the campaign? Like when we launched the operation in a particular area. Which terror group will be focused first? Please, let us decide on these details and our experts will make a call on these. We never tell them where to start their operation and where to end. Similarly, America should not do the same,” he said.
He recalled when Pakistan had launched a massive military operation in the tribal areas, the Americans were asked to support it in Afghanistan as part of “Hammer and Anvil” military tactic.
“We used the hammer against the terrorists and but where was the anvil?” he questioned. He said Pakistan was no more seeking the US aid but it wanted trade concessions and the US investments in the country’s growing economy.
To a question, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would not attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. “It is not confirmed. Things work differently here.”
Fatemi said during his official and private engagements in the USA, he briefed the US think tanks, policymakers and Congressmen on the positive developments in Pakistan in the last three years.
He said the India-Pakistan ties were also discussed and the US officials were informed about the Indian atrocities in the Indian-Held Kashmir. “Pakistan is committed to peace in South Asia but the recent Indian statements have demonstrated who is not serious in peace efforts,” he said.
Fatemi highlighted the sacrifices rendered by the people and security forces of Pakistan in the campaign against terrorism. He emphasised that Pakistan had paid a very heavy price and was firmly committed to eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He, however, added that Pakistan, being a sovereign state, would decide the scale, pace and reach of its counter terrorism efforts in line with its economic and operational limitations as well as other capacity constraints.
He said his current visit to the US would be followed by other high-level visits. Pakistan was aiming at building a comprehensive, sustained and forward looking relationship with the US, he added.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/172517-Fatemi-concludes-US-trip-without-meeting-Trump-team
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