Oct 15 , 2015
News
Nawaz, Obama to discuss revival of economy, defence issues: FO
Islamabad expects New Delhi not to allow its soil to be used for hatching conspiracies against Pakistan
APP
ISLAMABAD - Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah on Thursday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his four-day official visit to the United States starting from October 20, would brief US President Barack Obama on steps taken by the government for revival of economy, elimination of terrorism and regional situation.
The prime minister would be visiting the US on invitation by President Obama and would have wide-ranging talks with the US president on bilateral and regional issues, the spokesman told a regular weekly briefing. During his talks, the prime minister will also hold discussions with Obama on bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, education, defence, counter-terrorism, health and climate change.
In several other engagements, Nawaz would meet Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, members of Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, interact with Pakistan-US Business Council, US Chamber of Commerce and Industry and address to the US Institute of Peace. On possibility of talks between national security advisers of Pakistan and India, he said that Pakistan had expressed its willingness to have talks without any condition.
“Kashmir is included in agenda of dialogue,” he said. However, he said that it was not advisable to have selective approach to Ufa (Russia) understanding between the two countries which called for a comprehensive agenda including all outstanding issues like peace and security and exchange of fishermen caught while straying into territorial water of the other country.
This also included confidence building measures, Line of Control, Working Boundary and cooperation within the framework of SAARC, he added. When asked on India’s refusal to allow chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference to travel to Pakistan, he said that the prime minister had invited him to exchange views as Kashmiris were the main party to the dispute.
On the Shiv Sena’s threats for not to allow Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali to hold his show in Mumbai city of India and creating disturbance at launch of former foreign affairs minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri’s book in Mumbai, he said that Pakistan had already expressed its concern over it and expressed hope that India would take steps to stop recurrence of such incidents.
He said that Islamabad had already handed over three dossiers to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Indian involvement in Pakistan for fomenting terrorism. “We expect India not to allow its soil to be used for hatching conspiracies against Pakistan.” Questioned on a deaf Indian girl Geeta who had been stranded in Pakistan for the past 15 years and was identified recently, he said all the formalities had been completed for her repatriation and Indian response on the mode of her return was awaited in this regard.
Asked about passengers of Samjhota Express, a train running between Lahore and New Delhi, which remained suspended for a few days, he said that a total of 33 Pakistani nationals stranded at New Delhi station had been bussed back already to Pakistan in two separate batches of 19 and 14 by efforts of Pakistan’s High Commission in India. Now the operation of the train has been restored, he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk