News
Friday, December 23, 2011
Indo-Pak talks on conventional, nuclear CBMs from 26th* NSC to review agreements signed with US & NATO
* No comment on Biden’s statement on Afghan Taliban
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India under the resumption of bilateral talks will have conventional and nuclear confidence building measures on December 26 and 27 in the federal capital. Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit in his weekly briefing has said, the 5th round of expert level talks on conventional confidence building measures will be held on December 26 while the 6th round of talks on nuclear confidence building measures will be held on December 27.
He said the meetings are in context with the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India in Islamabad last year, where both sides, agreed to re-convene the two expert groups.
Munawar Saeed Bhatti, Additional Secretary (UN & EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would head the Pakistan delegation for both Expert Groups. On the Indian side, Mr. D Bala Verma, Director General (Disarmament & International Security Affairs) Ministry of External Affairs, would lead the Nuclear CBMs Group, while Mr. Yashwant K Sinha, Joint Secretary (PAI), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), would head the Conventional CBMs Group.
FO spokesman also said that the national security committee of parliament has summoned the record of agreements signed with the US and NATO for ongoing review of Pakistan’s relations with Washington and its allies. Basit also said that the committee, which is seized with the matter of review in the backdrop of 26/11, NATO attack, has asked for records from Ministry of Defence. “That I believe the MoD has already submitted or was in process of doing so,” he added.
The spokesperson was of the view that the ongoing review was “not to rack Pakistan’s relations with rest of the world. But it was aimed at streamlining our relations with the US and dealing with the sensitive and complex issue therein,” he maintained.
Answering a question about the possibilities of early restoration of NATO supplies as the U.S was up to, he said, it depends on the decision of the Committee. He was referring to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security under Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, which is reviewing Pakistan’s engagements with US, and NATO. He said the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have clarified that the decision to cut-off NATO supplies was not to wreck relations with rest of the world but the exercise was done to streamline Pakistan’s cooperation on such issues. He said the parliament would decide the relations with United States and NATO on the basis of mutual respect and trust. When asked to comment on US Vice President Joe Bidden’s statement declaring Afghan Taliban as non-enemy, the spokesperson said, “It was an important statement. It was not for me to comment on that and it would also be premature.” Asked about the official stance of Pakistan regarding the Afghan Taliban, he said, “It was not for Pakistan to have a stance on them (Afghan Taliban) but it was the prerogative of Afghan people and government to do so. He reiterated that Pakistan wants relations with rest of the world on mutual respect and interest basis. Replying to a question of return of Afghan refugees, the spokesman said, “Pakistan wants repatriation of Afghan refugees with dignity and honour as soon as possible and work in this regard is underway in coordination with UNHCR.”
Answering a question regarding investigations of killing of former Afghan President Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, he said, those were still underway and would formulate our stance after receiving the findings. It is notable that Prof Rabbani was heading the proposed peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. According to the Spokesperson, Pakistan has repeatedly said in unequivocal terms that only genuine reconciliation and peace efforts and that too Afghan led could succeed. He reiterated that Pakistan wants relations with rest of the world on mutual respect and interest basis.
The Spokesperson said that Pakistan wants to further deepen relations with Afghanistan independent of our ties with rest of the world. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk