Talks being held with US on CSF disbursement

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that it was talking to the United States over Coalition Support Fund (CSF) disbursement, which has been affected by Obama administration’s refusal to certify that Pakistani military operation in North Waziristan has disrupted the Haqqani network.

“The two sides are engaged in consultations on various issues including the CSF,” FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at the weekly briefing while responding to multiple questions about the reports of US refusal to certify.

Take a look: US govt to continue seeking funds for reimbursing CSF

He emphasised that militants of all shades were being targeted. “Under the ongoing military operation Zarb-i-Azb, action is being taken across-the-board against all enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are no good or bad terrorists.”

He further said: “The success achieved by the operation in eliminating terrorists will benefit the entire region.”

Qazi Khalilullah said a legislation on CSF disbursement to Pakistan for the financial year 2015 requires US defence secretary to certify to the relevant Congressional committees that “Pakistan has undertaken military operations in North Waziristan that have contributed to significantly disrupting the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani network in Pakistan; and Pakistan has taken steps that have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that North Waziristan does not return to being a safe haven for the Haqqani network”.

In case of non-certification $300 million will be withheld out of the annual allocation of $1 billion. The amount is paid to Pakistan as a reimbursement of the expenditures it had incurred on operations conducted in support of the US operation in Afghanistan. The arrangement has been continuing since 2001, but the certification requirement was added last year when the programme was extended for 2015.

Pakistani diplomats in Washington are trying to convince the US Department of Defence that Haqqani network has been uprooted from its sanctuary in North Waziristan.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Mr Sartaj Aziz had earlier at a media interaction said: “The release of Coalition Support Fund is always subject to certain conditionalities, and this time they have withheld their, sort of, certification pending certain discussion. We have had some discussion and we are continuing, so I hope that these conditionalities or whatever questions they have raised will be resolved before the financial year. American financial year ends on Sept 30, so the remaining funds can be released.”

Gen John Campbell, Commander of the Operation Resolute Support and United States Forces in Afghanistan, had in a discussion earlier this month at Brookings Institute in Washington shared the US concerns about Pakistani military not doing enough to uproot the Haqqani network.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Pakistan over the years has probably not done enough to be able to help us get after the Haqqani threat,” the Voice of America had quoted Mr Campbell as saying.

The US move can have serious implications for Pakistan and could sour ties ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the White House in October.

KASHMIRI LEADERS: The spokesman said that Pakistan expected India not to hinder a meeting of Kashmiri leaders with Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz during his Delhi visit later this week for talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

“Pakistan expects India to allow Kashmiri leaders to meet the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs. Kashmiris are important stakeholders in the context of Jammu and Kashmir dispute and efforts to seek its peaceful settlement in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions,” the spokesman said while replying to a question regarding the reported detention of Kashmiri leaders.

Kashmiri leaders have been invited by Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit to attend a reception at the High Commission in Delhi on Aug 23.

Qazi Khalilullah said inviting Kashmiri leadership to the High Commission was a longstanding practice.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play