Pak rejects Obama's remarks on terror, instability

Islamabad, Jan 15: Pakistan today strongly reacted to US President Barack Obama's remarks that the country could become a safe haven for terrorists and would continue to face instability for decades to come.

In his last State of the Union address on Tuesday, Obama had said that "instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of central America, Africa and Asia".

He said that the US' foreign policy must be focused on the threat from the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, but it can't stop there.

"For even without IS, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia," he said.

"Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks; others will fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave of refugees," he said.

Pakistani Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz rejected Obama's comments in a breakfast meeting with Chinese scholars, diplomats and mediapersons.

"Whatever the US president said about instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan are his predictions and have nothing to do with ground realities," Aziz said. He said Pakistan was committed to defeating militancy and had major successes in the fight to eliminate terrorism.

"Pakistan is taking decisive action against terrorism and militancy and days to come will witness more stability here," he said. Aziz said Afghanistan faced the issue of "instability" but Pakistan was making all out efforts to bring peace and stability in its neighbouring nation.

PTI