Gilani offers training to Afghan army, police

[Pk_Thunder]

Gilani offers training to Afghan army, police​

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday said Pakistan was ready to train the Afghan army, police and administration to cope with the aftermath of the 2014 period and reiterated that he had told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that there could be no peace in the region without peace in Afghanistan.

The prime minister’s remarks came during the meeting with a member of the Wolesi Jirga and Chairman of the Commission on Law and Justice of the Wolesi Jirga, Ustad Mohaqiq, who called on the PM here at the PM House on Friday.

The premier said friendship and animosity and reconciliation and brinkmanship could not coexist. The prime minister said the All Parties Conference resolution had taken a stand on giving ëpeace a chanceí and this was conveyed to the US secretary of state and to the world in a candid manner.

He urged on the need for frequent exchanges of parliamentarians of both countries because people-to-people contact was the best diplomacy to build bridges among the people. ìIt is my vision to develop good neighbourly relations with the countries of the region because this paradigm shift in the foreign policy best serves national interests. It was in accordance with this vision that I embarked upon diplomacy aimed at enhancing cooperation among the countries located in this part of the world,” the PM added.

The prime minister said that he had met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Karzai, Iranian President Ahmedinijad and leaders of other countries of the Central Asian Republics to further the cause of friendly relations with countries situated in close proximity of Pakistan. “Such a shift in foreign policy is critical to establish connectivity among the people of these countries and promote intra-regional trade, lay the foundation for sustainable bonds, and establish a prelude to the social development of the people,” he added.

The prime minister said he visited Afghanistan twice and met President Karzai along with Pakistan’s military leadership. He said that Pakistan supported the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of reconciliation. “We want to see an independent, prosperous and stable Afghanistan. My government will support any solution that does not destabilise Pakistan as was the case when this country had to host three million Afghan refugees after the Soviet war,” he stated.

The prime minister said that he went to Quetta and expressed his deep condolences on the brutal killing of the Hazara community and directed the administration to take all steps to ensure the safety of their life and property. “Interior Minister Rehman Malik recently visited Quetta under my instruction to assure the community that the government would bring the culprits to justice,” he added.

The prime minister said Pakistan had contributed $350 million to the rehabilitation of Afghanistan and awarded 2,000 scholarships to Afghan students who were now studying in various universities of Pakistan.

The prime minister thanked Ustad Mohaqiq for giving a piece of land to build the Jinnah hospital in Afghanistan with the assistance of Pakistan. Ustad Mohaqiq said both countries shared common traditions, culture and history. He paid tributes to the leadership of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan by saying he was a man of peace. He advocated the reconciliation process in which he said the Taliban should be included, provided they accepted the Afghan constitution.

He thanked the prime minister for taking effective measures to protect the Hazara community and strongly rejected the policy of blaming each other and instead underscored the need to work closely against the common enemy. He said both Afghanistan and Pakistan should work to accomplish the mission of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, who wanted to see both countries as good neighbors and friends.

 

[mr42O]

apni police ko tu traning de lu

 

[Jango]

Those 350 Million $ should have been utilized on pakistanis much more I think, and those 2000 scholarships, Pakistanis were in need of that as well. Pehlay apna ghar to sahi karo.

 

[ramu]

Why is Pakistan so insecure? Why do they want to hear a NO from Afghanistan ? Karzai has made all the right noises. Even spoke about backing Pakistan in case of a war with India or US. It is time Pakistan becomes comfortable with the fact that other countries including India can have bilateral relations with Afghanistan independent of Pakistan's views.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Why is Pakistan so insecure? Why do they want to hear a NO from Afghanistan ? Karzai has made all the right noises. Even spoke about backing Pakistan in case of a war with India or US. It is time Pakistan becomes comfortable with the fact that other countries including India can have bilateral relations with Afghanistan independent of Pakistan's views.

Pakistan is not 'insecure' in making these offers - Pakistan is calling Karzai's bluff and offering cooperation in various fields to test if Karzai really means what he says.

A small Pakistani training contingent for Afghan security forces is not going to 'corrupt' the entire ANA or ANP - it is Afghanistan that is insecure in hesitating to take Pakistan up on the offer for assistance, when it is clear that Afghanistan needs all the assistance that it can get.

 

[ramu]

Pakistan is not 'insecure' in making these offers - Pakistan is calling Karzai's bluff and offering cooperation in various fields to test if Karzai really means what he says.

A small Pakistani training contingent for Afghan security forces is not going to 'corrupt' the entire ANA or ANP - it is Afghanistan that is insecure in hesitating to take Pakistan up on the offer for assistance, when it is clear that Afghanistan needs all the assistance that it can get.

Tell me why do you want to ask for something Karzai can't give. He has signed a strategic agreement with India in relation to training of Afghanistan's forces. Afghanistan does not think getting trained with Pakistan is indeed the right thing to do. If you ask for what a decision is already made and use it as a litmus test, I think Pakistani leaders are acting like fools. They should take advantage of the oliver branch offered by Karzai and get more constructive things done instead of flagging the friction zones.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Tell me why do you want to ask for something Karzai can't give. He has signed a strategic agreement with India in relation to training of Afghanistan's forces.

That agreement does not bind Afghanistan to anything, and does not prevent Afghanistan from inviting other nations to assist in training their security forces.

Afghanistan does not think getting trained with Pakistan is indeed the right thing to do.

Why not? Surely Afghanistan, as a brother, and a country that understands Pakistan's national security concerns, would be more than happy to allay Pakistani fears by taking up Pakistan's offer of training Afghan troops. Are Afghan troops that insincere to their nation that they would so easily be brainwashed by Pakistani trainers? It is just training after all.

If you ask for what a decision is already made and use it as a litmus test, I think Pakistani leaders are acting like fools. They should take advantage of the oliver branch offered by Karzai and get more constructive things done instead of flagging the friction zones.

There is nothing 'fictional' about the offers made - all these offers are reasonable and feasible, and Afghanistan needs the help being offered, especially as US and NATO forces start withdrawing. Pakistani training of Afghan security forces would build relationships between the two institutions and allow each side to understand the other better, and remove misgivings on both sides.

I don't really see any sort of a downside for Afghanistan if she accepts Pakistan's offers for assistance and greater exchanges.

 

[ramu]

AM, the reason why Afghanistan is refusing could be many and Karzai need not disclose it. If using this as a litmus test is taking things too far.

Putting my speculative hat on : Reason for rejecting Pakistan's offer for training by Afghanistan.

If getting trained from Pakistan makes Pakistan believe Afghanistan as a strategic depth / backyard and Karzai does not want to encourage such ideas.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Sher Malang i would like to read your views on the topic...

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

If getting trained from Pakistan makes Pakistan believe Afghanistan as a strategic depth / backyard and Karzai does not want to encourage such ideas.

I would highly recommend reading through the last few pages of the Strategic Depth sticky in the Strategic Affairs section -outside of Gen. Beg, no one agreed with or thought feasible his interpretation of 'Strategic Depth', in the corridors of power in the Military and Government.