ISLAMABAD -  Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif Wednesday said that “friction” existed between Pakistan and the United States.

Briefing the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs here, Asif said Pakistan had made it clear to the civil and military leadership of the US that it did not require any aid. “The US should not blame Pakistan for its own failures. Pakistan will never make compromise on its national interests and can live without aid. Pakistan desires balance in its relations with the US,” he said.

Asif said the continuous jibes at Pakistan were all accusation to put responsibility of the US’ failures in Afghanistan on Pakistan.

The meeting was chaired by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq and was attended among others by senators Farhatullah Babar, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Karim Ahmed Khawaja, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Daud Khan Achakzai, Haji Moin Khan Afridi, secretary Foreign Affairs, secretary Cabinet Division and Khawaja Asif.

Asif said Pakistan had been repeatedly seeking assistance in repatriation of Afghan refugees and to work on border management with Afghanistan. The minister said Pakistan had given refuge to the Afghan people but it’s not possible anymore. China, Asif said, had shown interest in spreading the CPEC to Afghanistan and Pakistan “throws its weight behind this decision”.

Senator Farhatullah Babar questioned whether the anti-terrorism fatwa also covered the so-called jihad across the national boundaries as has been proudly claimed by some militant outfits. Replying to his question, the foreign minister said that his reading of the fatwa document was that it also banned private jihad across national boundaries.

Babar then said that some “undeclared moves” seemed afoot to mainstream militant organisations without taking the parliament on board and asked whether the foreign office was aware of any such move. He said that the soft treatment meted out to Ehsanullah Ehsan former Taliban spokesperson, bail of Maulana Sufi Muhammad, shielding Maulana Masood Azhar from the UN sanctions and lately the militant organisations entering into electoral politics pointed towards those “undeclared moves”.

Asif said the foreign office was not aware of any move to mainstream militant organisations in the country.

Senator Babar also asked whether a three-member delegation of Afghan Taliban from their Qatar political office had arrived in Pakistan recently as reported in the media as part of the efforts to encourage them join the reconciliation process. Asif said the foreign ministry was not in the picture and was not aware if such visit indeed had taken place.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed urged the foreign office to be more proactive in putting forth Pakistan’s narrative in the war against terrorism.

Regarding the matter of filling-up of vacant Pakistani chairs in foreign universities, the committee was given a detailed briefing on the process by Cabinet Division against 14 vacant seats in foreign universities in 11 different countries. The meeting also discussed the case of Haji Abdul Ghafoor, a Pakistani national, who went missing in Madina last year.

Secretary Foreign Affairs Tehmina Janjua informed the committee that the federal Haj minister would be visiting Saudi Arabia early next month and this issue would also be included in the agenda.

The committee recommended that the Saudi authorities be asked to focus on the testimony of two officials of the Pakistan House Madina of the altercation Haji Ghafoor had with police at the gate of Masjid-e-Nabvi after which he reportedly went missing.