Russia supplies military essentials to Pakistan: Igor Morgulov

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov on Thursday created a stir by confirming that his country was supplying military equipment to Pakistan and also accusing the US-led NATO forces for helping the dreaded ISIS fighters to set up base in Northern Afghanistan. He was joined by former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who said the US has to explain the rise of ISIS and extremism, calling it a result of its relationship with Pakistan. Both participated in a discussion along with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gen VK Singh at Raisina Dialogue, a geo-political conference here organised jointly by Ministry of External Affairs and a think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF). It is believed that Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAAC) had recently received four Russian-made Mi-35M attack helicopters. Two years ago, Russia had lifted an embargo on supplying weapons and military hardware to Pakistan.

Morgulov said his government has video evidence gathered from the ground that ISIS were being transported in helicopters to North Afghanistan. "We want to ask NATO and also to the Kabul government who provides those helicopters. It is Kabul that controls Afghan airspace," he sai Russian minister and Karzai emphasised that the problem now is the support terrorists were getting from the western world in terms of weapons and funding. Russian minister also rejected any military solution to Afghan issue, describing Donald Trump's recent pronouncement an old policy which was also pursued by his predecessor Barack Obama. He said there was no escape for Kabul government, but to talk to the military opposition (Taliban) in order to bring reconciliation and peace in the region. He said Russia is trying to involve all in the talks, all the neighbours, stake holders and even the US. But he regretted that the US has not shown willingness to participate in this process.

The Russian minister's statement has come at a time, when President Donald Trump on Thursday accused his country in unusually harsh terms of helping North Korea to evade UN sanctions The US policy maker at the White House and former American diplomat Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad here also assailed the Russian approach, saying they were stepping in to prove President Trump's latest South Asia policy a failure. "While we are trying to isolate Pakistan for its bad behaviour and India is supporting us, the Russian behaviour to putting spokes in the policy," he told DNA.

He asked Russians not to engage in old Soviet style intrigues by smelling an opportunity to step in and end potential isolation of Pakistan. He asked India to use its good offices with the old friend Russia to make them understand the situation. Khalilzad also described Russian minister's allegation of Americans helping ISIS an insult and a propaganda. "Americans have died fighting the ISIS. We fought them in Iraq. Russians were not there. We dropped the biggest bomb in Afghanistan to kill ISIS This is unfortunately former Soviet style propaganda," he added.

Karzai also said that it was important to engage with Taliban because "they are from our own villages and homes. They are not foreign. If they are not involved, the peace talks would not succeed. There won't be sustainable peace." He said while Afghanistan was being accused of cultivating and making money of poppy crops, the fact is that the whole money is being pumped through banks in the west while the farmers and government in Afghanistan remain poor.

He said poppy cultivation was more in areas controlled by NATO forces. Both of them disagreed that China will be a problem in finding a solution to the problem, as it is very friendly with Pakistan. "China is an enabler. It is well aware of the dangers from terrorists and it will never support it," they said. Karzai, however, praised Trump's approach towards Pakistan. "We know and the US also knew all along about terror sanctuaries in Pakistan and terrorism being used as an instrument of state policy. Now that the US has admitted terror sanctuaries exist, I hope they will act," he said. On this he was echoed by Gen. VK Singh, who said India was also awaiting an action on the ground. He the restoration of connectivity to Afghanistan was the answer to bringing peace to war torn country. He said creating the "cooperative environment" and bringing back the glory of the Afghan economy when the trade flowed through that country was the only way forward to the problem.

What he said

• Morgulov said his government has evidence gathered from the ground that ISIS were being transported in helicopters to North Afghanistan. 
• The Russian minister also rejected any military solution to Afghan issue, describing Donald Trump’s pronouncement an old policy, also pursued by Barack Obama.