Former Pak envoy questions Islamabad's double standard on terrorism

Former ambassador of Pakistan to United States, Husain Haqqani has questioned Islamabad's double standard on terrorism, saying that the latter fights some of the terror groups while encouraging some others.

"Some groups have been attacked by the Pakistani military and they have been dealt with but others have been encouraged, including Hafeez Saeed 's LeT," Haqqani told ANI.

He said that the jihadi terrorists in Pakistan are threat not just to the entire world but to Pakistan as well.

"Pakistan needs to clean its own house instead of finding scapegoats abroad. Pakistan, has always in the past, been very mindful of how America looks at it but right know it has become a zero sum game," he said.

"The culture of denial that has been cultivated in Islamabad means people in Pakistan think they can deal with Trump administration the same way they dealt with previous administrations. Make a new few promises and let them be broken later but get out of trouble spot which they are confronting right now. I think that might be not easy this time. The United States seems to mean business and they want success in Afghanistan, they do not want Pakistan to continue support for afghan Taliban and the haqqani network. They also want an end tio terrorism all over South-Asia including India and J&K," he added.

The ex- envoy said that Pakistan needs better relations with entire world including its neighbours Afghanistan and India and sooner it starts better will be it for Islambad.

Speaking about Pakistan-China ties, Haqqani said Pak was dependant on the U.S. for 70 years but now it seems that Islamabad is changing its dependency and moving towards China.

"Although 46 billion dollars in infrastructure is a great investment if it materializes but it will come at a great cost to Pakistan," Haqqani said in reference to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He suggested Pakistan to find ways to stand on its own feet and build itself up with help of its own people as "dependence on China will create same problems which were created with the US".

The ex-envoy also said that Pakistan's dependence on China will make Beijing's control Islamabad on Islamabad stronger.

He further said that Human rights violation should be confronted wherever they are taking place.

Haqqani also questioned Pakistan's double standards on human rights violation, saying that Islamabad speaks about human rights violation in India but does not speak about human rights violation in Balochistan and Sindh.

"I want to be amongst those Pakistanis who point out enforcement disappearances, killing of civilians, and denying people right to speak out is not in accordance with the UN Declaration of Human Rights," he said.

He also said Pakistan's continuous human rights violation will create circumstances for rest of the world to isolate it more and more.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/former-pak-envoy-questions-islamabad-s-double-standard-on-terrorism-117092300092_1.html