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UN accuses Pakistan of increased insurgency in Afghanistan
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. AP
RAWALPINDI: The United Nations has accused Pakistan of increased incidents of insurgency inside Afghanistan and said the security situation in that country has deteriorated markedly.
In his report on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, submitted to the current session of UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that incidents stemming from cross border activities from Pakistan have increased significantly in terms of numbers and sophistication. The insurgencys dependence on asymmetric tactics has also led to a sharp rise in the number of civilian casualties, he said.
The report says relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been dominated by discussions on the increase in cross-border insurgency activities, an issue that had in the past appeared to be fuelling a climate of suspension and recrimination, with each government blaming the other on different occasions for insufficient efforts against terrorism and for interfering in each others domestic affairs.
The report reviewed the series of bilateral meetings between the leaders of the two countries and stated that on July 9 the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan were present at a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan where both Ministers emphasized the close connections between the two countries and the need for greater cooperation to leverage economic opportunities and combat security problems.
On August 2, on the margins of the SAARC summit in Colombo, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, agreed to resume a number of bilateral activities, including planning for the next peace jirga.
Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Chief of the Army Staff, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also visited Afghanistan for discussions on bilateral cooperation and security challenges.
On September 9, Afghan President Karzai attended the swearing-in ceremony of President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad and expressed optimism about relations between the two countries.
Referring to the activities of his Special Representative, Kai Eide, the report says he offered to provide assistance in accordance with his mandate. In Islamabad, he underlined the need to strengthen the political dialogue between the two countries and to follow up on the peace jirga which was held in Kabul in August 2007.
The report states the important role that the neighbours and regional partners of Afghanistan can play in promoting the countrys development and stability has been increasingly emphasized. The opportunities afforded by trade and transit, energy market integration and road and rail infrastructure dominate bilateral and multilateral agendas, along with cooperation to combat terrorism and the illegal narcotics trade.
One of the most important results of regional cooperation efforts is the agreement by Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan to begin construction of a trans-Afghan gas pipeline in 2010, the report says.
The overall situation in Afghanistan has become more challenging and despite the enhanced capabilities of both the Afghan National Army and the international forces, the security situation deteriorated markedly, says the report which will be discussed during the Assemblys debate on the Afghan situation later this month.
The UN Secretary-Generals report says while armed clashes between Afghan and international security forces on the one hand, and insurgents on the other, have continued to increase in number and intensity, asymmetric attacks carried out by the insurgents have increased even more.
The report pointed that three trends can be identified in the context of this deterioration: a greater focus by insurgent groups on hitherto stable areas; more sophisticated planning of operations by insurgents, in particular asymmetric attacks; and an increase in civilian casualties.
The report went on to state that the trend in insurgency tactics observed in 2007 from armed clashes with security forces to attacks of an asymmetric nature continued and became more pronounced in 2008, leading to a sharp increase in the number of civilian casualties.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. AP
RAWALPINDI: The United Nations has accused Pakistan of increased incidents of insurgency inside Afghanistan and said the security situation in that country has deteriorated markedly.
In his report on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, submitted to the current session of UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that incidents stemming from cross border activities from Pakistan have increased significantly in terms of numbers and sophistication. The insurgencys dependence on asymmetric tactics has also led to a sharp rise in the number of civilian casualties, he said.
The report says relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been dominated by discussions on the increase in cross-border insurgency activities, an issue that had in the past appeared to be fuelling a climate of suspension and recrimination, with each government blaming the other on different occasions for insufficient efforts against terrorism and for interfering in each others domestic affairs.
The report reviewed the series of bilateral meetings between the leaders of the two countries and stated that on July 9 the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan were present at a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan where both Ministers emphasized the close connections between the two countries and the need for greater cooperation to leverage economic opportunities and combat security problems.
On August 2, on the margins of the SAARC summit in Colombo, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, agreed to resume a number of bilateral activities, including planning for the next peace jirga.
Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Chief of the Army Staff, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also visited Afghanistan for discussions on bilateral cooperation and security challenges.
On September 9, Afghan President Karzai attended the swearing-in ceremony of President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad and expressed optimism about relations between the two countries.
Referring to the activities of his Special Representative, Kai Eide, the report says he offered to provide assistance in accordance with his mandate. In Islamabad, he underlined the need to strengthen the political dialogue between the two countries and to follow up on the peace jirga which was held in Kabul in August 2007.
The report states the important role that the neighbours and regional partners of Afghanistan can play in promoting the countrys development and stability has been increasingly emphasized. The opportunities afforded by trade and transit, energy market integration and road and rail infrastructure dominate bilateral and multilateral agendas, along with cooperation to combat terrorism and the illegal narcotics trade.
One of the most important results of regional cooperation efforts is the agreement by Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan to begin construction of a trans-Afghan gas pipeline in 2010, the report says.
The overall situation in Afghanistan has become more challenging and despite the enhanced capabilities of both the Afghan National Army and the international forces, the security situation deteriorated markedly, says the report which will be discussed during the Assemblys debate on the Afghan situation later this month.
The UN Secretary-Generals report says while armed clashes between Afghan and international security forces on the one hand, and insurgents on the other, have continued to increase in number and intensity, asymmetric attacks carried out by the insurgents have increased even more.
The report pointed that three trends can be identified in the context of this deterioration: a greater focus by insurgent groups on hitherto stable areas; more sophisticated planning of operations by insurgents, in particular asymmetric attacks; and an increase in civilian casualties.
The report went on to state that the trend in insurgency tactics observed in 2007 from armed clashes with security forces to attacks of an asymmetric nature continued and became more pronounced in 2008, leading to a sharp increase in the number of civilian casualties.