Senate Foreign Relations Committee

SENATE OF PAKISTAN PAKISTAN WORLDVIEW Report - 16 SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE Pakistan & NATO September, 2007 http://www.foreignaffairscommittee.org List of Contents 1. From the Chairman’s Desk 5 2. Executive Summary 9 - 13 3. Dialogue with NATO Parliamentary Assembly (March 14, 2007) Participants of the Meeting 17 - 19 Proceedings of the Meeting (Verbatim Record) 23 - 47 4. Pakistan Parliamentary Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Spring Session (Madeira, Portugal, 25-28 May, 2007) 51 - 62 5. Pakistan Senate Delegation to NATO’s 8th New Parliamentarians Programme (Brussels, Belgium, 8-12 July, 2007) 65 - 80 6. Appendixes: President General Pervez Musharraf’s meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (May 8, 2007) 83 - 85 Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visit to NATO Headquarters (January 30, 2007) 86 - 87 Pakistan and NATO Article by Dr. Rashid Ahmed Khan 88 - 91 7. Profiles Profiles of the Chairman and Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 95 - 102 Profiles of the Committee Officials 105 - 106 03 Pakistan and NATO From the Chairman’s Desk The Senate Foreign Relations Committee continued with its vigorous contacts with its counterparts and other legislative institutions in friendly countries to create better mutual understanding of issues of peace and security. These contacts have been of enormous good as there is, now, a better appreciation of Pakistan’s policies and perspective on current issues; and similarly, we now understand the position of others. This interaction has led to extremely happy results. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is determined to continue and expand these contacts and meetings, which is what this report is all about. The visit of a delegation of NATO Parliamentary Assembly in March, 2007 at the invitation of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee led the process further, particularly in the context of the situation in Afghanistan, NATO’s role there and relations with Pakistan. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee also facilitated the visiting delegation’s interaction with think tanks like the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS). The visiting delegation got an insight into Pakistan’s commitment to peace and its phenomenal contribution in war against terror and in the stabilization of situation in Kabul. The visit was of great significance as the 11 members of the delegation were drawn from as many countries – members of NATO. The discussions were frank, but cordial conducted in the spirit of developing a better understanding of mutual policies. The detailed verbatim record fully reflects the vast range of the issues discussed. After this visit, there were two follow up interactions from the Pakistani side. At NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Spring Session held at Madeira, Portugal (May, 2007) the Pakistani Parliamentary delegation was led by the Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro. Another Pakistan’s Senate delegation participated at NATO’s 8th New Parliamentarians Programme, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium in July, 2007. There were interactions of these Pakistani parliamentarians with NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as well as with NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General John Craddock. I trust this Report will be read with interest and will enhance readers’ knowledge of a broad spectrum of current global issues. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed 05 Pakistan and NATO EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary On invitation of the Senate Foreign Relations Pakistan would be presented to NATO during Committee an eleven member delegation of the spring summit scheduled to be held at NATO Parliamentary Assembly visited Pakistan Madeira Island in Portugal from 25 to 28 May during 13-18 March 2007 under the leadership 2007. of Mr. Karl A. Lamers, Chairman of the Political Committee of NATO Parliament and Vice Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in his opening President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly. remarks thanked NATO for the outstanding and extraordinary support that NATO Forces A meeting between the Senate Foreign Relations extended to Pakistan during the earthquake of Committee and NATO Parliamentary Assembly October, 2005. He focused his presentation on delegation was held on March 14, 2007 and the three areas, namely, Pakistan-India relations, two sides had an in-depth discussion on “NATO’s situation in the region, particularly in Afghanistan, role in Afghanistan and relations with Pakistan”. and finally, the situation in the Middle East. He Explaining the role of Parliamentary Assembly stated that Pakistan was continuing dialogue of NATO, Mr. Karl A. Lamers said that the process with India and it was hoped that that Assembly was independent of NATO despite process would lead to a resolution of the major strong links between the two as members of flash point between Pakistan and India namely NATO Assembly are also the members of their the contentious issue of Kashmir on which, respective national parliaments and are elected unanimous resolutions were passed by the by them to NATO Parliamentary Assembly. United Nations Security Council in the past. NATO Assembly comprises of 248 members Pakistan was a pivotal player in this region and from 26 member states and 59 members from was developing confluence and congruence with 13 countries with associate status. other regions like China, South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia. China was an observer Mr. Lamers stated that Pakistan and NATO while Afghanistan was a member of SAARC, shared a number of security concerns and which means Afghanistan was now de facto part common interests and the Organization of the community of South Asian nations. recognized the important role and contribution Moreover Iran was also keen to join as observer made by Pakistan to the security of Afghanistan. in SAARC. Pakistan, India and Iran have joined Pakistan was a very important partner in the the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) efforts to rebuild Afghanistan and combat global as observers while members of SCO included terrorism, which made it imperative to strengthen Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Pakistan’s role as an ally against terrorism. and Kazakhstan. This confluence of regions was Giving reasons of the visit he said that the primarily motivated by energy and economy and delegation was interested to know more about in that respect there were talks in progress for Pakistan’s view on security policy and the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. There was talk of situation in Pakistan and the region because Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline too. such issues are not covered in their newspapers. There was also talk of pipeline from Qatar, which The report on the visit and the meeting with the was one of the world’s largest gas producers. Senate Committee and other dignitaries in That meant that countries in the region would 09 Pakistan and NATO have a strategic stake in good relations provided in poppy cultivation, corruption and mal the contentious political disputes like Kashmir administration. Now Pakistan was being blamed are resolved. for the mistakes made within Afghanistan. And unfortunately in terms of priorities the Americans Giving his views on the issue of Afghanistan, moved out of that country and out sourced the Mushahid stated that Pakistan has been in the war to NATO and to the British. In Pakistan’s eye of the storm for the last 27 years since the assessment, NATO had no stomach for a fight Soviet occupation and invasion of Afghanistan. or the will to win because of public opinion. Pakistan won the last battle of the 20th century, which contributed to the collapse of the Berlin Finally, moving from Afghanistan to the Middle Wall, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the break East Senator Mushahid said that the military up of the Soviet Union and the emergence of intervention in Iraq had also failed. It was hoped United States of America as the sole super that the Iraq Study Group recommendations power. That was why Lithuania was now a would be implemented because it suggested member of E.U. and NATO. Pakistan was now engaging Iran and Syria in talks. The war in Iraq playing a pivotal role in the first battle of the 21st was not winnable militarily and there had to be century, which was the campaign against a political settlement including talks with people, terrorism. This turbulence of the last 26-27 years who were resisting the occupation. which included 3 Afghan wars gave Pakistan 3.5 million Afghan refugees. Pakistan’s Senator Mushahid further stated that Pakistan contribution to Afghanistan had been very clear. was part of the solution and wanted to play a Eighty thousand Pakistani troops were deployed role in resolving issues but they required a lot in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), of coordination and cooperation. Pakistan was bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan and has cooperating with NATO on Afghanistan and was since lost 800 soldiers. The situation in working closely with the Tripartite Commission. Afghanistan deteriorated after the removal of Recently the Afghanistan Jirga Commission the Taliban primarily because of a failure in visited Islamabad for talks. The Senate Foreign Western policy and US policy. The United States Relations Committee had already extended an repeated the mistake of 1990 when they left invitation to Afghan Parliamentarians to visit Afghanistan and Pakistan on their own Pakistan to initiate a bilateral Afghanistan – subsequent to the departure of Red Army from Pakistan dialogue and had informed Iran about Afghanistan. Although, Pakistan sacrificed its desire for a tripartite dialogue between the immensely but the US gave a parting kick in the Parliamentarians of Pakistan, Iran and form of Pressler Amendment resulting in Afghanistan. imposition of sanctions on Pakistan for 11 years from 1990 to 2001. Mr. Karl A. Lamers agreed with what was said by Senator Mushahid Hussain and stated that In 2002 the US imposed war on Iraq because it was a mistake of the United States and other that country lacked governance and countries to leave Afghanistan after the administration.

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