Pakistan says stop “blame game” at US, Afghan talks

[Dance]

KABUL: Pakistan on Tuesday called for the “blame game” to stop as the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan met to discuss security in the region amid a Taliban insurgency and heightened tensions over cross border shelling.

President Hamid Karzai has condemned the firing of 470 rockets from Pakistan into Afghanistan over the past three weeks. Islamabad says only that “a few accidental rounds” may have crossed the border when it pursued militants who had attacked its security forces.

The escalation of fighting on the border between Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun tribal areas and Afghanistan has underscored the difficulties the three countries face in working together to reach a political settlement to the 10-year Afghan war.

“We need to end this blame-game,” Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, told a news conference after a meeting of three countries in Kabul, without making any specific reference to border shelling.

“We need to take ownership for our own affairs, this problem will not go away if we keep on pointing finger at each other, we have done it for too long and I think it is time that our two great nations decide.”

Afghanistan has often blamed elements within the Pakistan government for supporting the Taliban insurgency.

Pakistan blames Afghanistan for giving refuge to militants on its side of the border, particularly in eastern Kunar province, leaving it vulnerable to counter-attack when it chases them out of its own tribal areas.

The talks were formally aimed at mapping out plans for reconciliation with the Taliban, but the shelling had been expected to dominate the agenda.

The meeting, between US envoy Marc Grossman and top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan, followed President Barack Obama’s announcement last week of a faster-than-expected troop withdrawal, accompanied by talks with the Taliban.

Top military commanders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States met in Kabul on Monday to review the situation on the border, a Pakistan army statement said.

Pakistan, badly bruised after US forces found and killed Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad on May 2, is keen to show it has a constructive role to play in helping the United States to bring stability to Afghanistan.

It has long wanted the United States to hold talks with the Taliban to seek a political settlement to the Afghan conflict which it says is fuelling its own domestic religious insurgency.

The United States has come some way towards sharing that view, opening its own preliminary talks with the Taliban.

Karzai has also been pushing for reconciliation with the Taliban and for the first time in the 10-year war, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States all share — in theory at least — a commitment to seek a political settlement.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/28/pakistan-says-stop-“blame-game”-at-us-afghan-talks.html

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

President Hamid Karzai has condemned the firing of 470 rockets from Pakistan into Afghanistan over the past three weeks. Islamabad says only that “a few accidental rounds” may have crossed the border when it pursued militants who had attacked its security forces.

470 rockets!!!! a few accidental rounds.................

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

470 rockets!!!! a few accidental rounds.................

Stop trolling - if you cannot engage in constructive discourse, find some other forum.

Pakistani officials did not state that '470 rockets' were 'a few accidental rounds', they essentialy contested the claim of '470 rockets' and stated that only a few rounds might have landed in Afghanistan.

Given the extensive coverage of, IIRC, five major terrorist incursions into Pakistan from Afghanistan, that resulted in dozens of soldiers and civilians dead, the Pakistani position is pretty credible, that any rockets that did land in Afghanistan were accidental, and a result of Pakistan defending itself from hundreds of terrorists attacking it from Afghanistan.

 

[Dance]

470 rockets!!!! a few accidental rounds.................

Yeah just like these were all accidental:

Hundreds of prisoners escape from Afghan jail, NATO says - CNN

Nato, Afghan forces attack Pakistani check post; two wounded | Pakistan | DAWN.COM

150 Militants Attack Pakistani Checkpost

Official: Afghan militants attack Pakistani checkpoint, killing dozens - CNN

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

Yeah just like these were all accidental:

Hundreds of prisoners escape from Afghan jail, NATO says - CNN

Nato, Afghan forces attack Pakistani check post; two wounded | Pakistan | DAWN.COM

150 Militants Attack Pakistani Checkpost

Official: Afghan militants attack Pakistani checkpoint, killing dozens - CNN

Just read again the post, he has claimed "470 rockets over the past 3 weeks". Accidental events happens sometime but you all need to learn difference b/w accidental and a daily practice.

Just try to fool someone else as you are not gonna take a lead here!!!!

 

[Dance]

Just read again the post, he has claimed "470 rockets over the past 3 weeks". Accidental events happens sometime but you all need to learn difference b/w accidental and a daily practice.

Just try to fool someone else as you are not gonna take a lead here!!!!

Maybe you would have read AgNoStIc MuSliM post then you would had all your questions answered. Pakistan is just protecting itself because obviously NATO and the afghan "army" cannot protect their side of the border.


But alas what can you say to someone who is bent on trolling?

 

[Safriz]

i am at loss here..why pakistan even bothered to.attend this meeting pf clowns!
unless pakistisn takes decisive action such as shooting drones and western border patrolled by ground attack aircrafts 24\7.......nobody will take pakistan seriously.

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

Maybe you would have read AgNoStIc MuSliM post then you would had all your questions answered. Pakistan is just protecting itself because obviously NATO and the afghan "army" cannot protect their side of the border.


But alas what can you say to someone who is bent on trolling?

I went though his post. I was trying to lay an AFGHAN point of view nothing about trolling at all.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I went though his post. I was trying to lay an AFGHAN point of view nothing about trolling at all.

That is not what you were doing - you were trying to imply that Pakistan said '470 rockets were fired at Afghanistan accidentally', whereas the Pakistani position is that the 470 rockets number is exagerated, though some rockets may have hit civilian areas when Pakistan counter-attacked hundreds of terrorists attacking Pakistan from those areas in Afghanistan.

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

That is not what you were doing - you were trying to imply that Pakistan said '470 rockets were fired at Afghanistan accidentally', whereas the Pakistani position is that the 470 rockets number is exagerated, though some rockets may have hit civilian areas when Pakistan counter-attacked hundreds of terrorists attacking Pakistan from those areas in Afghanistan.

I think, I know myself better than other. Posting the same line for your reference

Karzai has condemned the firing of 470 rockets from Pakistan into Afghanistan over the past three weeks

Hoping that it will clear to you now. However you are justifying it saying though some rockets may have hit civilian areas when Pakistan counter-attacked hundreds of terrorists attacking Pakistan from those areas in Afghanistan

Now just think at their counter part.....

or I am missing something?

 

[Spring Onion]

Just read again the post, he has claimed "470 rockets over the past 3 weeks". Accidental events happens sometime but you all need to learn difference b/w accidental and a daily practice.

Just try to fool someone else as you are not gonna take a lead here!!!!

470 rockets would have made some holes in the azzholes there, if at all these were fired. i say next time do prove them right by firing as many so that those terrorists who crossed over to my area of Pakistan and had killed our innocent women and childern in Dir.

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

470 rockets would have made some holes in the azzholes there, if at all these were fired. i say next time do prove them right by firing as many so that those terrorists who crossed over to my area of Pakistan and had killed our innocent women and childern in Dir.

Might be somewhat off to the topic, but you know what Jana

You can justifying the things what had happened over there(Afganistan)
--> If there is shelling over afghan civilians is concerned (accidental)
--> self defence
--> you can bring them "azzholes" down(as you have mentioned)

But what happens when it comes to you(Pakistan) by US n NATO
--> No shelling
--> No self defence
--> moreover, No azzholes

Truth is "You can justify on both either on Afghan or Pakistan"!!!
I am hoping you to accept that. Don't take it otherwise....

 

[Bond]

ISLAMABAD/KABUL:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded a halt to a series of cross-border rocket attacks in a meeting with Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, as the Pakistan Army claimed five “major attacks” were launched from Afghanistan.

The demand comes ahead of a meeting of senior officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US who will meet today (Tuesday) in Kabul to push the Afghan reconciliation process forward.

A statement issued by Karzai’s palace after the meeting said he “expressed concern over the continuation of rocket attacks on the Afghan border region from Pakistan soil and demanded an immediate halt to these attacks.”

The palace claimed that Kayani had agreed to launch an investigation, but that could not be immediately confirmed.

A few hours before the meeting, the Pakistan Army said that five “major attacks” launched from Afghanistan had killed 55 security personnel in a month.

Army spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas said on Monday that he could not rule out a “few accidental rounds” could have been fired across the border by security forces targeting fleeing militants but said Pakistan had also suffered, according to AFP news agency.

“In the last month, there have been five major attacks from the Afghan side of the border, where 250 to 300 terrorists crossed over and assaulted our border posts in Dir, Mohmand and Bajaur,” he said.

The attacks resulted in the deaths of 55 paramilitary and pro-government tribal militiamen and wounded 80 others, Abbas said.

Meanwhile, a tripartite commission, comprising senior military representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the coalition forces in Afghanistan held a meeting in Kabul on Tuesday. This is the 34th meeting of the commission, which was inaugurated in Islamabad in 2003.

According to an Inter-Services Public Relations press release, General Kayani, Chief of Afghan General Staff General Sher Muhammad Karimi and Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) General David Petraeus headed the respective delegations.

The participants reviewed the current security situation along the Pak-Afghan border and discussed measures to improve the effectiveness of the ongoing operations in their respective areas. Steps for better coordination and enhanced cooperation to avoid misunderstandings regarding border security were also discussed.

Meanwhile, discussions in the trilateral meeting are expected to be tense as Pakistan will raise its concerns over deliberate attempts by the US to keep Islamabad out of peace-making efforts with Afghan Taliban.

The three-way talks will be attended by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, US special envoy for the region Marc Grossman and the Afghan deputy foreign minister.

Ahead of the Kabul moot, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and the meeting of the core group, according to the prime minister’s office.

Also, in a clear sign of growing tension, Associated Press news agency reported that Grossman told a news conference in Kabul on Monday that Pakistan must prove it wants an end to the Afghan war by preventing militants from hiding out on its soil and enabling those who launch attacks on the Afghan side of the border.

“We’ve been pretty clear that going forward here, we want the government of Pakistan to participate positively in the reconciliation process,” Grossman said. “Pakistan now has important choices to make.”

However, Pakistan continues to have serious reservations on the US’ efforts and a foreign office official said the issue will be taken up at the meeting of the Core Group.

With additional reporting by Kamran Yousaf in Islamabad

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.

 

[luckyyy]

i think it is the same state of affair between afganistan-pakistan as it was in past between india-pakistan borders...

 

[somebozo]

Isnt Karazai the elected president of democratic afganistan?? Why is he ruling from the palace..that is soo imperialistic?