No single institution is in charge of Pak foreign policy: Asif

Pakistan's foreign policy was being shaped by "different institutions", Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has said, indirectly acknowledging that his ministry was not the lone authority.

It is often alleged that Pakistan's powerful military, which has in the past overthrown the elected government through coups, calls the shots on key issues in Pakistan.

The foreign policy was being shaped by different institutions and no single institution was in charge of the foreign affairs, Asif said yesterday following a discussion on US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's recent visit to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, Pak Tribune reported.

The minister, however, said that policies are being framed over recommendations of the National Security Committee and Parliament.
 

Asif, while referring to the remarks made by Senator Farhatullah Babar who had criticised him for advising the US to have an Afghan policy free from the influence of generals and asked him to apply the same in Pakistan, said: "I agree that it should be so".

He stressed that the foreign policy's 'sole charge' doesn't lie with one institution, Daily Times reported.

Asif made it clear that he had not "unwittingly" criticised American generals for their failure in Afghanistan, saying the new US policy was ineffective because it was influenced by the generals who suffered defeat in Afghanistan.

Asif said that he had urged the US State Department and other policy-making institutions to have greater control of the American policy "instead of relying on President (Donald) Trump's rejected approach to this problem".

"If America frames its policy free from the influence (of army generals), it will be much more successful and effective. When they make Pakistan scapegoat, they are in fact covering up their own failures (in Afghanistan)," Asif said.

The minister said that the concerns expressed and suggestions made by the lawmakers would serve as a guideline in framing the foreign policy.

He also made it clear that the country's foreign policy would not be subservient to interests of external powers and would keep in view interests of the country.