ISLAMABAD: Germany on Friday backed Pakistan’s position on the US drone attacks in its tribal areas saying it too had ‘apprehensions about the strategy.’
German Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Bernd Mutzelburg, who called on the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Germany had full understanding of Pakistan’s concerns.
The support for Pakistan’s position from Germany that is the third largest troop contributing nation in Afghanistan, which has also committed extra troops is being considered significant particularly in view of reports that the United States was planning to widen the strikes inside Pakistan.
The drone attacks have been one of the major irritants in Pak-US relations. Although, the US has so far been ignoring Pakistan’s protests in this regard, but Foreign Minister Qureshi earlier this week said that the US has agreed to listen to Pakistan’s contentions on this issue at the next regional policy review meeting in Washington on May 16-17.
Foreign Minister Qureshi explained to the German envoy that drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan were counter-productive for they worked against Pakistan’s efforts aimed at winning hearts and minds.
Besides consensus on drone attacks, Mutzelburg supported Pakistan’s stance that force alone could not resolve the situation in Afghanistan and holistic approach was required to deal with the problem of terrorism.
It was further agreed between Qureshi and Mutzelburg that for achieving viable peace in the region, development, dialogue and reconciliation should be pursued more vigorously.
Dawn