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WASHINGTON,
Sept 13 (APP): Senior representatives of Pakistani American
Leadership Center (PAL-C), a Capitol Hill-based advocacy
group, met with US top official for South Asia Richard
Boucher and demanded an immediate end to unilateral American
action on Pakistani soil.
Expressing
deep concern at unilateral US military action into Pakistanis
territory resulting
in high levels of civilian casualties without any commensurate
success in terminating high-value targets, the group
stressed in a letter “it is in the interest of US national
security and for the security and stability in the region
that these actions be halted immediately.”
According
to the letter released by PAL-C on Friday, its members
wrote that by violating the territorial integrity of
Pakistan with impunity, the US undermines
the position of the Pakistani security forces and that such actions “legitimize
the Taliban and al-Qaeda who by militarily engaging the US can claim they
are the true defenders of Islam and Muslims.”
The
PAL-C cited strong condemnation of the September 3 attack
on a border village by Pakistani leadership and
the parliament and sought that statements attributed
to US officials “must immediately be retracted and clarified to reflect
a more sane and sober policy that relies on intelligence-sharing and coordination
with
the Pakistani military and most importantly, a reliance on them as the
sole
actor in any kind of military action to be taken within Pakistan.”
The
Center recommended continued capacity-building assistance
for Pakistani counter-terrorism
and counter-insurgency forces to create an indigenous force that will
be able to effectively counter militancy in a sustained
manner.
It
called for greater coordination and intelligence sharing
between US/NATO forces, Afghan forces and Pakistani
forces; support for development initiatives
particularly Senator Biden’s “Enhanced Partnership with PakistanAct of
2008,” and the “Reconstruction
Opportunity Zones” legislation; expansion of the FATA Security Development
Plan and elimination of “safe haven” rhetoric to be replaced with recognition
of Pakistani sacrifices and ongoing efforts to combat militancy within
the affected areas.
“These
steps will form the basis for a secure America and a
strong and stable ally in Pakistan. Pakistan is often
considered as the lynchpin in the
region. If America can build a relationship with Pakistan based on partnership,
prosperity and mutual friendship the entire region will follow,” the members
included.
The
letter was written by senior PAL-C members including
Mossadaq Chughtai, Pervaiz Lodhie, Dr. Rafiq Rahman,
Taha Gaya, Dr. Raza Bokhari,
Mrs. Mariam
Issa,
Saquib Khan, Dr. Maqsood Chaudhry, and Arif Zaffar Mansuri.
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