Roundup: Pakistan seeks NATO backing for Afghan peace process

Pakistan on Friday pushed the NATO to throw weight behind efforts for political negotiations to find out solution to the Afghan conflict.

Pakistan's top foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, issued the appeal as NATO opens a two-day summit in Warsaw that will also review the security situation in Afghanistan and make decisions on the presence of its troops.

After U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement this week to extend the presence of 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan through next year, NATO is likely to make a similar decision on its troops. NATO has some 6,000 troops at present.

"We expect that as we intensify our efforts to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan, they will also capitalize on the dividends of these counter-terrorism operations to facilitate this process," Aziz said in a statement regarding the July 8-9 NATO Summit in Warsaw.

Aziz's statement is important as the U.S. and NATO allies have not yet taken any substantial steps to promote the reconciliation with the Taliban insurgents.

Pakistan angrily reacted to a drone strike in May that led to the death of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour. Pakistani officials believe the strike has undermined peace efforts in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani adviser said the summit is taking place under the long shadows of terrorism, turmoil and continuing conflicts.

"Within the last week alone, we have seen major terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey," he recalled and stressed that "terrorism could only be defeated with unity and cooperation of the international community."

He said major military operations against the armed groups in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region and concerted operations in other parts of the country against terrorists have been very successful and as a result, dividends have started reaching the people of Pakistan.

Pakistani military said the forces have cleared the region of all militant groups during the operation codenamed "Zarb-e-Azab" starting in June 2014. The military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said last month that more than 3,000 militants have been killed over the past two years.

U.S. Senator John McCain, who leads the Armed Services Committee in the Senate, visited North Waziristan this week along with a senate delegation, and appreciated the success of the military offensive.

The Pakistani foreign affairs adviser appreciated the acknowledgement of Pakistan's contributions by the international community. Endit