WASHINGTON : Pakistan’s defense minister is expressing concern about aWhite House statement saying the U.S. military has been given authority toeliminate militant safe havens in Pakistan.
“President Trump’s conditions-based South Asia Strategy provides commanderswith the authority and resources needed to deny terrorists the safe haventhey seek in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the White House statement read.
In an interview with VOA’s Urdu Service, Defense Minister Khurram DastgirKhan said he takes the statement “very seriously.”
“We want to make it clear to the U.S. that Pakistan is a sovereign countryand its sovereignty must be respected,” Khan said.
“Instead of using these words, which can be interpreted in any way,Pakistan should be consulted,” he added. “Statements like this are takingus away from peace in Afghanistan.”
The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to aVOA question about whether the U.S. has changed its policy on additionalmilitary operations inside Pakistan, or whether the White House email was amisstatement.
Shamila Chaudhary, director for Pakistan and Afghanistan at the NationalSecurity Council under former President Barack Obama, said the Pakistanidefense minister is likely interpreting the statement correctly.
“It’s not a misreading. That’s exactly how anyone would interpret it,”Chaudhary told VOA. “This suggests they might change the rules to apprehendinsurgents” across the border in Pakistan.
Chaudhary said the statement is consistent with the Trump administration’soverall South Asia policy. In his August speech unveiling that policy,Trump said the U.S. “must stop the resurgence of safe havens” in bothAfghanistan and Pakistan.
In his State of the Union address, Trump did not mention Pakistan directly.But he did say he asked Congress to pass legislation to help ensure thatU.S. assistance dollars “always serve American interests, and only go toAmerica’s friends.”
Orignally published by INP