Pakistan cannot compromise relations with China to please US : PESA

Lahore: The Pakistan Ex-servicemen Association (PESA) on Monday lauded the firm stance of COAS General Raheel Sharif on the US drone attack that killed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor.

US attack on Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was a well-orchestrated conspiracy against Pakistan which pushed away Taliban from talks, it said.

This was observed in a meeting of Executive Council of PESA presided by its Senior Vice President, Vice Admiral Ahmad Tasnim.

The former military leaders said that US attack was aimed to damage the growing links between Pakistan and China and harm CPEC which has hit peace efforts as well as cooperation against terrorism.

Admiral Fasih Bokhari, Air Marshal Masood Akhtar, Lt Gen Naeem Akbar, Brig Mian Mahmud, Brig Javed Akhtar Khan, Brig Arbi Khan, Col Dalel Khan, Brig Masud ul Hassan, Capt Akmal Shah (Navy), Capt Nawaz Ali (Chief Organizer Sindh) Ch Zia Naseem Ghumman and others participated in the meeting.

The former military leaders said Pakistan continue to strive for better relations with US but it cannot compromise its relations with China to please any other power. Members stressed the need to develop relations with other nations of the region also, Russia and Iran in particular.

They criticised US Senate for inclusion of a clause in the draft of financial support bill requiring certification from US Government that force is not being used against elements that are demanding political freedom which amounts to supporting for Balkanization of Pakistan.

They noticed that anti-Pakistan trend in the US Congress and media show that our sacrifices towards winning the Cold War have been thrown in a dust bin. We are now being pressurized to follow America’s revised strategy in the region.