Interview with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khar
AMANPOUR: Now to Pakistan. When Hina Rabbani Khar was appointed foreign minister, she was the youngest and the first female ever to hold that position. It is a critical job and she took it at a critical moment. Osama bin Laden had just been found and killed inside the country and Pakistan's relations with its key ally, the United States, had just hit rock bottom. We turn right now to Pakistan and Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to the program.</s>HINA RABBANI KHAR, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: A pleasure to be here.</s>AMANPOUR: Foreign Minister, there's been months now of investigation into what happened in Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was hiding and also into the crucial question of how he could have been in Pakistan for nine years, hopscotching from house to house, apparently hiding in plain sight. Can you tell us today what you have learned, who was responsible for hiding him?</s>KHAR: Christiane, this is a process which is currently ongoing in Pakistan. As it happens, only yesterday, I appeared in front of what we call the Abbottabad Commission, which is looking into the presence of -- the unexpected presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistani territory. And they are still at it. So I think we have to, from our side, at least, wait for the commission to come out with its analysis, with its report on what happened and how it happened.</s>AMANPOUR: So let me just ask you a little bit further. You know, obviously, that this commission has been meeting and investigating for months now. And even your own people, particularly your own newspapers, are saying, we need to know who was responsible for facilitating the most wanted man in the world hiding in our country, apparently safely. Was it ordinary citizens? Was it law enforcement? Was it the military? Can you give us any details? I know the commission is still investigating, but anything you know.</s>KHAR: Christiane, I think one thing which is beyond doubt by now is - - and it's not only coming in from our sources, this is coming in from the many, many sort of volumes of stuff which was taken in from his hideout, that there was no complicity in -- on the part of anybody within the Pakistani administration. And when I talk about the Pakistani administration, I talk about the whole of government.</s>AMANPOUR: Minister, as you know, many in the United States, even in your own country, doubt that very much, that somebody of such a high profile could have existed under the nose of the military, under the nose of the intelligence. You are right, the documents, as yet, do not prove any complicity or point to any. But the question is still out. The jury is still out. And why do you think the U.S. has such a hard time believing that the most wanted man in the world could somehow be sheltered by ordinary citizens and his own network?</s>KHAR: I think there will be lessons learned from this. There will be tough lessons learned from this. And this is not something that Pakistan at all is proud of. This is not a legacy that this government wants to leave behind at all. So I think we are, like the rest of the world, waiting to learn lessons from this, from the presence of Osama bin Laden inside Pakistani territory. But I want to also say that initially in the press, especially in the Western press, there was an impression given that he was living right under the nose of the military academy, for instance. And I want to clarify that the military academy does not mean military presence in -- or hard military presence within that area. A military academy has a -- it's like a military school, like any other school, so it doesn't mean that under the nose of the military itself. But as I said, this is something which concerns us as much as the rest of the world. We are on the same page on this. And we want to learn from the commission's report as to what happened, how it happened and what are ways and means of we -- of us strengthening our intelligence network, what are ways and means of us being able to strengthen the political network and ensure that this type of, you know, thing doesn't happen inside Pakistan anymore.</s>AMANPOUR: I just want to let you know that your scarf has slipped off your head. If you -- if you care, you can put it back on right now. Otherwise, I can continue.</s>KHAR: Sure. Please continue.</s>AMANPOUR: OK. Perfect. Foreign Minister, it has caused really a plummeting, as I said, rock- bottom relations between Pakistan and the United States. One of your foremost authors and experts, Ahmed Rashid, has written a new book, in which he says that the United States and Pakistan could possibly be on the brink of war, go to war because their relations are so bad. Your own parliament has just put through a very robust series of new measures. I know you call it a reset, but it does seem to slap the U.S. around a bit, for instance, saying no drone attacks anymore onto Pakistani territory.</s>KHAR: Christiane, as you have pointed out, the parliamentary process has, indeed, pointed out that there should be a complete stop to drone strikes. But they have also pointed out that foreign militants, if they exist on Pakistani soil, must be rooted out completely. So as far as the strategy is concerned, we are together. We are on the same page. We want to root out terrorism, because Pakistan suffers more from terrorism than any other country in this world. I can say that clearly. Now, however, it is also emphasizing that it must be respectful, that this relationship must be based on respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and for the interests of Pakistan.</s>AMANPOUR: Let me ask you about going after the militants. You are saying that this no-drone strike is going to be implemented and that you will go after the militants yourself in Pakistan. But here is the crux of the issue. Many people watch the relationship between Pakistan and India. They look at it as the most serious problem in the region, because what Pakistan and its obsession with India is drawing all its security resources away from the fight against the militants. So as you know, there are still sanctuaries. The United States has just said the latest attack in Afghanistan was by the Haqqani network. If Pakistan is unable to go after its own militants because its resources are so stretched towards India, you're now saying that you're going to deny the U.S. its most effective weapon in terms of going after these militants.</s>KHAR: OK, again, let me take this opportunity to correct a few perceptions. First of all, Pakistan's policy toward all regional neighbors, to its immediate neighbors, has been consistent. This government's policy has been consistent, that we need to find peace and stability within. And the way to do that is to find a friendship or to improve our ties -- to improve ties which are based on trust with each one of our neighbors. We cannot afford to be selective about it, so be it India, be it China, be it Iran, be it Afghanistan, we do not have a choice. We cannot be selective about it. We have to improve our relations. And I hope that you have noticed the recent trend in our relations with India. Pakistan has been very consistently following a dialogue process to bring India back to the dialogue table. They are back on the dialogue table. And we have moved through this dialogue process and trying to solve our problems on the negotiating table. That is the Pakistani approach, as we speak. Now, in Pakistan, you have seen a reaction to the drone strikes. You have seen that they are considered to be in violation legally. They are seen to be counter-productive, because what they do is that they put the militants and the tribesmen, who this government has taken great pains to separate, back together in their hostility toward the United States. Now, that's not a good long-term strategy.</s>AMANPOUR: So in that case, the parliamentary commission also demanded an apology from the United States for the killing of Pakistani troops the last time the U.S. was going after militants. Is it important to get that apology? Have you gotten it yet? And will you demand it?</s>KHAR: Christiane, I -- again, important to clarify, while the government had never formally asked for the apology, now the parliament has, indeed, asked for an apology. And we would certainly hope that the U.S. would, you know, be respectful of the will of the people of Pakistan. And please, too, remember, that these were 24 of our soldiers who died at the hands of what we considered to be friendly fire, because we are in this war together, because we have been partnering with the international community in Afghanistan. Now let me ask you this very simple question. What would it feel and what would it do to the U.S. citizens' sentiment if they were to receive 24 body bags in the United States, saying this was done in accident by the Pakistani troops, who did not lose a single limb? What would be the reaction of the United States?</s>AMANPOUR: Madam Minister, can I switch subjects just for a moment, because another issue that is very prominent and causes quite a lot of angst in the United States, and, actually, in the West, is the issue of acid burning and the violation of women. And I know the system in Pakistan is trying to put punitive measures against people who do that. Now, you know that there's been this case of this young woman, Fakhra Yunus, who was a prominent acid victim. She committed suicide by jumping from her building. Acid was thrown in her face by her husband. It's also -- her husband was a relative of yours. He was a cousin of yours. And he's been accused by her of having done that. What do you have to say about that?</s>KHAR: Even before this suicide took place, the government has passed what I consider to be historic legislation against acid burning, which will mean that any more people who do this will not be able to go scot-free at all, that the system will resist it, that the system will have walls around it which will discourage people from using this as a tool for domestic violence and others.</s>AMANPOUR: If it does turn out that your cousin is responsible and that he's charged and found guilty, should he face the same penalties that any ordinary Pakistani perpetrator would?</s>KHAR: Absolutely. Absolutely. In order to make the case that nobody is above law, the government that's in (ph) has already committed to reopen the case. And I think that once all the work is done, in terms of the investigation, et cetera, anyone, whether who -- whichever background he may be from, must face the law and must face the results that come out of that action.</s>AMANPOUR: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, thank you so much for joining us from Pakistan.</s>KHAR: A pleasure.</s>AMANPOUR: And the issue of acid burning was the subject of a film that won the Best Documentary at the Oscars this year. And coming up, an English mystery that Sherlock Holmes would love, a case of disappearing ink and dashed hopes solved by brilliant police work. It's elementary, my dear Watson, when we come back.