Pakistan already part of military alliance: foreign office

Foreign Office on Thursday confirmed that Pakistan has joined the Saudi-led 39-member Islamic Military Alliance but declined to comment on appointment of former Army Chief Generalf Raheel Sharif (retd) to lead the alliance. Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, while responding to media queries in his weekly briefing, confirmed that Pakistan is part of the alliance, saying "we are already part of it."
However, he declined to comment on the appointment of General Raheel Sharif (retd) to lead the alliance, saying Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif has already made a statement on the matter.
"I don't think after what has been said by him [Asif] and the things which have been discussed in the Parliament, I have anything to add," he said, adding Raheel Sharif is a civilian now and any query related to him does not come in the domain of the Foreign Office.
Yet to another question as to whether Pakistan's "policy of neutrality" in the Middle East has been changed as the defence minister had clearly stated that General Sharif's appointment was a government-to-government [Pakistan-Saudi Arabia] arrangement, the spokesperson said that these were two different things, adding the basic purpose of this force is to counter terrorism. "The terms of reference of counter terrorism operations are yet to be made," he added.
Responding to another question, he said that no serving or former ambassador has diplomatic immunity in his home country and that former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani too is no exception to that rule. He also refused to respond to the visa policy, saying the policy is made by the Interior Ministry which is the appropriate platform to raise such a question.
About fencing the Pak-Afghan border, he said that Pakistan has continued to emphasise that an effective border management is important for combating terrorism and preventing cross-border movement of terrorists.
He said that in a recent meeting in London, Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmer underscored the importance for a bilateral co-operation mechanism to address counterterrorism and border management issues in an amicable manner.
"Both the sides have realised that terrorism is a common threat, and that we need to take necessary measures to check terrorism as it is affecting people of both the countries. For this to happen, effective border control management is an imperative," he added.
About the upcoming Moscow meeting on Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan would participate in the 12-party talks to be held in mid-April this year. However, the level of participation in the meeting is yet to be decided, he added.
He said the Central Asian countries and the US have also been invited to attend the 12-party meeting in Moscow. "Pakistan will participate in the forthcoming Moscow meeting in accordance with our policy of constructive engagement at all forums relating to Afghan peace," he added.
Responding to a query about the fate of Quadrilateral Co-ordination Group (QCG) process, he said that the QCG was set-up with a view to making concerted efforts for peace talks between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban. "In our view, QCG remains an effective forum. A number of other processes also exist for promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said.
About the anti-Muslim riots in India, he said that Indian treatment of its Christians, Muslims and other minorities is deplorable, as it encourages incitement to hatred and violence. "It is happening as the Indian government in New Delhi stands back and watches," he said, adding the international community needs to take notice of extremely vitriolic statements by those in power in India, like UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
To another query about Jinnah House in Mumbai, he said that the house was the residence with ownership of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. "Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its desire to take possession of the property. The government of India should respect the ownership rights of the government of Pakistan in this regard. We also expect that Indian government will fulfill its obligation of protecting that property and its upkeep," he added.
He said that Pakistan has already taken it up with Indian authorities, and it is an ongoing matter. He said that the property belongs to the Founder of Pakistan and should be given to Pakistan. "On various occasions, the Indian government has promised to hand over the property to the government of Pakistan but has not fulfilled its commitment as yet," he added.
To another query, he said the meeting between the Indian coast guards and Pakistan maritime agency will be held from April 16-19, 2017 in New Delhi, which is a yearly meeting.
The spokesperson strongly condemned the continued Indian forces' brutalities in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to take notice of the human rights violations in the disputed territory.