'Pak would move towards China,Russia as US is declining power'

Washington, Oct 6: America is "no longer a world power" and Pakistan would move towards China and Russia if its views on Kashmir and India are not considered, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's envoys have said here.

"(The) US is no longer a world power. It is a declining power. Forget about it," Special Kashmir Envoy of Sharif, Mushahid Hussain Syed was heard as saying yesterday after the conclusion of an interaction at the Atlantic Council, one of the top American think-tanks.

Syed and Shazra Mansab, another Kashmir Envoy, are in the US as part of the Pakistani effort to apprise the global community of the current situation in Kashmir and allegations of human rights violations in the Valley.

Syed has gone to the extent to warn US that Pakistan would move towards China and Russia if its views on Kashmir and India are not considered. He was apparently responding to a question from a member in the audience after the conclusion of the 90-minute interaction during which he expressed his frustration over the lack of response to his point of view on Kashmir and India.

The remarks of Syed were not recorded on camera, but was heard prominently by those inside the room. Thereafter, he was quick to point out China and newly perceived relationship with Russia, which he had mentioned during his interaction at the Atlantic Council. Syed submitted a dossier of alleged human rights violation in Kashmir to Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Olson.

With no takers for Pakistan's Kashmir policy, Syed said China are now an important factor in South Asia and described Beijing as part of what he termed as Greater South Asia.

"There has been slow and steady building of relationship between Moscow and Islamabad," he said, referring to the joint military exercise between Pakistan and Russia.

Syed said the Putin government has for the first time agreed to sell arms to Pakistan and the US should take note of this changing regional alignment.

"Unfortunately under the Obama administration, there was a drift in American foreign policy towards our region, towards Afghanistan. There was confusion and there was a lot of flip-flops.

I think, the Obama administration could not figure out this region Afghanistan and Pakistan and as a consequence this region suffered.

"With policies one step back and one step (forward), announcing surge, announcing a cut off time for exit. Asking sometime Pakistan that please we want to talk to the Taliban and then saying that we want to take on the Taliban and finally they said there would be no American troops and then they end up having 8,500 troops stationed in Afghanistan. It leaves this to the next administration," he said.

PTI