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No foreign troops taking part in counter-terrorism operation inside Pakistan: FO
ISLAMABAD, Sep 23 (APP): Pakistan Thursday said there are no foreign troops taking part in the counter-terrorism operation inside Pakistan.Commenting on the reports published in American newspaper regarding formation of Afghan para-military forces to fight terrorism inside Pakistan, Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit, addressing weekly press briefing said, “We will never allow any foreign boots on our soil and this is one of our redlines and the international community including the US knows about it.”He said, “I can tell you there are no foreign troops taking part in counter terrorism operations inside Pakistan.”Replying to another question about Pak-China nuclear cooperation, the spokesman said, “Our civil nuclear cooperation with China is ongoing and that is in accordance with our respective international obligations and our cooperation is under relevant IAEA safeguards. Objections, if any, are therefore incongruent.”
About Pakistan’s efforts to tackle flood situation, the spokesman said the international community has started understanding the enormity of floods and the devastation they have caused.
He said a meeting was held in New York on September 17 where the United Nations revised its flash appeal to US$ 2 billion for relief and early recovery phase.
Things have, as a matter of fact, gathered momentum, he said. The international community, he said, is expressing its solidarity to deal with the unprecedented devastation the floods have caused in Pakistan.
The spokesman said Pakistan is planning a donors’ conference in Islamabad in November within the framework of the Pakistan Development Forum.
He said in October, there is a Ministerial meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) in Brussels, which among other things will also review the floods situation and Pakistan’s needs in the context of early recovery and rehabilitation.
Regarding criticism on Pakistan in spending assistance to flood affected areas, the spokesman said there was also criticism in the context of the Swat and Malakand operations.
He said the Government was criticized that it was not handling the situation properly, but the world saw how 2.5 million people were sent back to their native homes.
He said, “Due enormity and scale of the destruction of the recent floods, it is not that easy to cope with it on our own.”
The spokesman said under the given circumstances and limitations, the Government institutions have done a remarkable job.
“We are not saying that there were no loopholes. There are loopholes but the Government is moving in the right direction to plug them and taking steps which are necessary in order to cope with the situation and rehabilitate over 20 million people affected by these floods,” he added.
Courtesy www.app.com.pk