US Senate Armed Services Committee delegation in Pakistan
A high-level US Senate delegation comprised by members of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee, including top Republican John McCain, met Pakistan’s top foreign affairs official and powerful military chief in Islamabad to discuss regional security as Washington gears up to send more troops to neighboring Afghanistan on 3rd July. Others in the delegation were Lindsey Graham, Sheldon Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren, and David Perdue.
Pakistani Prime Minister was assisted by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials.
Prime Minister underscored his government’s commitment to good neighbourly relations and highlighted various initiatives to improve relations with Afghanistan and India.
McCain described US engagement with Pakistan in the region as “important” in his meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Aziz for his part vowed Pakistan remained committed to “constructive engagement” with the US in the efforts to create a “stable and prosperous” Afghanistan.
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also called US cooperation a “key factor” in security, as McCain agreed on the importance of coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a military statement said.
The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for Senate Armed Services Committee on its Web site) is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy (as pertaining to national security), benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other matters related to defense policy. The Armed Services Committee was created as a result of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 following U.S. victory in the Second World War. It merged the responsibilities of the Committee on Naval Affairs (established in 1816) and the Committee on Military Affairs (also established in 1816).
Considered one of the most powerful Senate committees, its broad mandate allowed it to report some of the most extensive and revolutionary legislation during the Cold War years, including the National Security Act of 1947. The committee tends to take a more bipartisan approach than other committees, as many of its members formerly served in the military or have major defense interests located in the states they come from.
Senator John McCain has also said that Pakistan plays a significant role in the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan. “Peace and stability in Afghanistan is not possible without Pakistan’s help”. John McCain also said Kashmir issue should be resolved in a peaceful way through negotiations.
US officials say they seek greater cooperation with Pakistan, not a rupture in ties, after the review the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, due in mid-July, where some 8,800 US troops remain to support the Western-backed government. But it also made clear that Pakistan’s cooperation doesn’t mean Pakistan’s interference in this war torn nation.
The committee clear in his view and send clear intentions to Pakistan that any compromise on terrorism will not tolerate by US administration.