The Foreign Office believes that the hard-earned accession to the Asian Regional Forum of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) will promote the economic and commercial interests of the country.
Speaking at his regular weekly briefing here on Monday, the Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said that linkage with the Asean members would contribute to efforts to achieve economic stability in Pakistan.
Masood was full of optimism and enthusiasm about the development and described it as an "achievement" of the present administration. He said it would also help in bring harmony to the region.
He said that Pakistan has a diplomatic presence in Baghdad which is confined to consular services and watches over the national interest in Iraq, as in the recent case of Amjad Hafeez who had been taken a hostage by anti-government forces there, but said that the question of upgrading it was under consideration. Masood hinted that Pakistan might go to restore full Embassy services there and also designate an Ambassador.
The representative office there, however, was fully active and had contributed towards the release of the hostage who was working there as a driver. However, he said, the kidnappers of Hafeez have not been identified so far.
He dismissed the recent statement of US Ambassador in Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, about presence of anti-Afghan elements in Pakistan's border areas, and said that the Afghanistan-born US diplomat was in the habit of making wild allegations which were regrettable. Islamabad, he said, had drawn the attention of Washington to Khalilzad's conduct.
Masood said that the coming elections for Afghan parliament and for the office of President "though seemed a difficult task" but would be achieved and Pakistan would stand by its "brethren in that country" and would help them in all ways.
He reiterated Pakistan's position on Indian fencing of the Line of Control in Kashmir, saying that Islamabad considered it a violation of all agreements and was opposed to it. "We have made our stand known to New Delhi and stand by it," he said and discounted suggestions that it was being done with Pakistan's consent.
The process, he said, was not legal and was violative of United Nations' resolutions and several other agreements between Pakistan and India on Kashmir. As members of the UN, he remarked, it was binding on the two nations to respect its decisions.
Masood expressed satisfaction over the process of composite dialogue with New Delhi and hoped that through this peaceful channel the two countries would be able to find a solution of the outstanding problems which had dodged relations between them. Pakistan, he added, was a firm believer in a negotiated settlement of all problems and had gone an extra mile in this respect also.
He said that Pakistani scouts were visiting Kashmir to attend an assembly of Saarc Scouts and were issued visas by India under the Association's decision. He did not have further details available with him on the subject but said that he would check and return with a reply at the next briefing.
Comments
Comments are closed.