Pak needs to own up to flaws rather than always blame neighbours: Ex-envoy Haqqani

Islamabad, May 18 (ANI): Former Ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani has said "Pakistan tends to blame its neighbours, and does not take into account the internal problems in the country's system".

"We just want to blame our neighbors, our enemies. We don't want to take account of what's wrong at home" The Express Tribune quoted Haqqani, as saying.

However, he maintained that there were genuine concerns for Pakistan in Afghanistan, which many felt were being ignored.

"We are concerned about the future of Afghanistan. We don't want India to create a kind of presence in Afghanistan that the U.S. wouldn't have tolerated if the Soviets had created it in Mexico during the Cold War," he said. "We both need to have an honest discussion," he added.

He also hinted that a small group of people were wanting to hijack the public debate for ulterior motives.

"Pakistan needs to discuss its relations with the U.S. honestly and openly within its society, instead of allowing a small group of people ideologically motivated and seeking essentially the domination of an Islamist ideology within Pakistan, but unable to get votes. They should not be allowed to dominate the discourse within Pakistan," he said.

"Talk to any Pakistani for five minutes," he said, "and by the fifth minute he will be getting angry about America far more than he would about whoever hid Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Now there's been a year that's gone and we haven't yet prosecuted anyone for hiding and protecting Osama bin Laden there. So my point is, as Pakistanis, we need to take some responsibility." (ANI)