Pakistan to train Afghan troops
Mariana Baabar, thenews.com.pkFriday, November 04, 2011
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ISLAMABAD: The armies of Pakistan and India will, for the first time, be imparting military training to Afghan troops inside Afghanistan, a concession that Pakistan won from Kabul at the 6th Trilateral Summit (Afghanistan-Pakistan-Turkey) held in Istanbul.
This move follows an improvement in relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals, where recently several steps have been taken to take relations to a new high, specially in the area of trade.
The issue of Pakistan training Afghans was raised at the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office on Thursday. When asked if there was now a formal agreement in place and whether Afghanistan had given access to Pakistan to train its military, FO spokesperson, Tehmina Janjua, did not give a direct reply but pointed to the two protocols inked at the Istanbul conference.
“When you look at the outcome, the joint statement that was issued at the conclusion of the 6th Trilateral Summit, especially its paragraph No 6, it welcomes the signing of the protocol on conduct of mutual exercises and on training cooperation. The documents adopted are two separate protocols: one for training of police personnel i.e. counter terrorism/law enforcement and the other for the training of the military personnel and both include a training component in them. So, all three states have signed on documents that provide for training of personnel,” she added.
According to one of the protocols, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey had signed a memorandum of understanding for training police personnel and conduct mutual military exercises. The first protocol includes training courses between the militaries of the three countries and mutual exercises. These were singed by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, General Necdet Ozal of Turkey and General Shah Muhammad Kairimi from Afghanistan.
Another protocol signed pertains training cooperation of the police. “Pakistan’s principal objectives with regards to Afghanistan are to promote stability, peace and prosperity in this brotherly country. This is important for peace and stability in the region as a whole. We have supported all initiatives for peace and stability and regional economic cooperation.
“We are actively participating in all trilateral processes with regards to Afghanistan. These include Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkey, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran, Pakistan-Afghanistan-US and the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Russia quadrilateral as well as the SCO-sponsored processes and RECCA”, said the spokesperson.
To a question about whether Pakistan was ready to extend recognition to the Transitional National Council in Libya, the spokesperson responded, “Pakistan has clearly stated that in the context of any discussions on the recognition of any government there is never recognition of a particular government there is always recognition of the state and from that flows the recognition of the government and we recognise both the state and the government of Libya as instituted by the NTC and are working with the government of Libya,” she added.
As confusion persisted over whether India had been awarded MFN status or not, the spokesperson said: “I would refer you to the press note that has been issued by the Ministry of Commerce yesterday [Wednesday], and I will read it out for you so that there is clarity on what has been issued by the Ministry of Commerce following the cabinet meeting yesterday. It says that ‘The Ministry of Commerce apprised the federal cabinet on the current process of trade normalisation between India and Pakistan. The cabinet fully endorsed the efforts of Ministry of Commerce to complete normalisation of trade relations and directed it to implement in letter and spirit the decisions taken in this regard. The cabinet gave the Ministry of Commerce the mandate to take the process of normalisation forward, which would culminate in the observance of MFN principle in its true spirit’.”
She said it was evident that Pakistan wished to normalise trade relations with India in a mutually beneficial manner. The cabinet unanimously decided in principle to accord MFN to India, which both sides would have to work towards in further engagements by the commerce secretaries.
The spokesperson tried to put at rest fears that Pakistan was granting MFN status to India despite several hurdles in the relationship. “In the bilateral dialogue that is ongoing between India and Pakistan - the resumed dialogue between Pakistan and India - all tissues that are critically important for both Pakistan and India are on the table and are being repeatedly discussed. As I have already said in our last briefing, the issue of peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, for example, was discussed by the foreign secretaries in the meeting that was held earlier this year and later by the foreign ministers themselves, and a reference to this discussion is also included in the joint statement that was adopted following the visit by the foreign minister to India.
The press note that was sent out by the Ministry of Commerce clearly reflects the direction that the government has decided to take with regards the normalisation of trade relations with India,” the spokesperson said. “Pakistan and India have an ongoing resumed dialogue process; both countries agree that their bilateral relationship is important and critical for economic development of the regions and for development and prosperity of both Pakistan and India. The most important thing we have to underline is that both countries are making an effort towards establishing friendly relations and resolving differences and disputes,” she added.
Mariana Baabar, thenews.com.pkFriday, November 04, 2011
================================================
ISLAMABAD: The armies of Pakistan and India will, for the first time, be imparting military training to Afghan troops inside Afghanistan, a concession that Pakistan won from Kabul at the 6th Trilateral Summit (Afghanistan-Pakistan-Turkey) held in Istanbul.
This move follows an improvement in relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals, where recently several steps have been taken to take relations to a new high, specially in the area of trade.
The issue of Pakistan training Afghans was raised at the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office on Thursday. When asked if there was now a formal agreement in place and whether Afghanistan had given access to Pakistan to train its military, FO spokesperson, Tehmina Janjua, did not give a direct reply but pointed to the two protocols inked at the Istanbul conference.
“When you look at the outcome, the joint statement that was issued at the conclusion of the 6th Trilateral Summit, especially its paragraph No 6, it welcomes the signing of the protocol on conduct of mutual exercises and on training cooperation. The documents adopted are two separate protocols: one for training of police personnel i.e. counter terrorism/law enforcement and the other for the training of the military personnel and both include a training component in them. So, all three states have signed on documents that provide for training of personnel,” she added.
According to one of the protocols, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey had signed a memorandum of understanding for training police personnel and conduct mutual military exercises. The first protocol includes training courses between the militaries of the three countries and mutual exercises. These were singed by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, General Necdet Ozal of Turkey and General Shah Muhammad Kairimi from Afghanistan.
Another protocol signed pertains training cooperation of the police. “Pakistan’s principal objectives with regards to Afghanistan are to promote stability, peace and prosperity in this brotherly country. This is important for peace and stability in the region as a whole. We have supported all initiatives for peace and stability and regional economic cooperation.
“We are actively participating in all trilateral processes with regards to Afghanistan. These include Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkey, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran, Pakistan-Afghanistan-US and the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Russia quadrilateral as well as the SCO-sponsored processes and RECCA”, said the spokesperson.
To a question about whether Pakistan was ready to extend recognition to the Transitional National Council in Libya, the spokesperson responded, “Pakistan has clearly stated that in the context of any discussions on the recognition of any government there is never recognition of a particular government there is always recognition of the state and from that flows the recognition of the government and we recognise both the state and the government of Libya as instituted by the NTC and are working with the government of Libya,” she added.
As confusion persisted over whether India had been awarded MFN status or not, the spokesperson said: “I would refer you to the press note that has been issued by the Ministry of Commerce yesterday [Wednesday], and I will read it out for you so that there is clarity on what has been issued by the Ministry of Commerce following the cabinet meeting yesterday. It says that ‘The Ministry of Commerce apprised the federal cabinet on the current process of trade normalisation between India and Pakistan. The cabinet fully endorsed the efforts of Ministry of Commerce to complete normalisation of trade relations and directed it to implement in letter and spirit the decisions taken in this regard. The cabinet gave the Ministry of Commerce the mandate to take the process of normalisation forward, which would culminate in the observance of MFN principle in its true spirit’.”
She said it was evident that Pakistan wished to normalise trade relations with India in a mutually beneficial manner. The cabinet unanimously decided in principle to accord MFN to India, which both sides would have to work towards in further engagements by the commerce secretaries.
The spokesperson tried to put at rest fears that Pakistan was granting MFN status to India despite several hurdles in the relationship. “In the bilateral dialogue that is ongoing between India and Pakistan - the resumed dialogue between Pakistan and India - all tissues that are critically important for both Pakistan and India are on the table and are being repeatedly discussed. As I have already said in our last briefing, the issue of peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, for example, was discussed by the foreign secretaries in the meeting that was held earlier this year and later by the foreign ministers themselves, and a reference to this discussion is also included in the joint statement that was adopted following the visit by the foreign minister to India.
The press note that was sent out by the Ministry of Commerce clearly reflects the direction that the government has decided to take with regards the normalisation of trade relations with India,” the spokesperson said. “Pakistan and India have an ongoing resumed dialogue process; both countries agree that their bilateral relationship is important and critical for economic development of the regions and for development and prosperity of both Pakistan and India. The most important thing we have to underline is that both countries are making an effort towards establishing friendly relations and resolving differences and disputes,” she added.
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