May 9, political situation: FO rejects statements by western states, IMF

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Thursday disapproved the statements coming from certain Western countries, including the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief Nathan Porter, and expressed disagreement with the characterisation that has been made on developments around May 9 and the situation in Pakistan.

“We have seen those statements. We do not agree with the characterization that has been made on developments around May 9th and the situation in Pakistan. We believe that Pakistan is fully capable of dealing with all domestic challenges in accordance with our laws and our constitution,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while responding to media queries in her weekly press briefing.

She added: “We are cognizant of our constitutional obligations to protect the rights and property of all our citizens. We are committed to ensure observance of national law, maintaining public order and respecting the Constitution, and democratic traditions and human rights principles. These constitutional guarantees and fundamental freedoms are underwritten by our judiciary.”

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She further stated that the National Security Committee in its recent statement has clearly spelt out the factual situation around the May 9 events.

However, about the IMF Mission chief’s specific statement, the spokesperson said that the Ministry of Finance is the right forum to respond to any issues, concerns and statements relating to the IMF.

About the meeting of US Ambassador Donald Blome with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday, she said that it is normal for the foreign minister to receive ambassadors from various countries. “When such meetings take place, all aspects of bilateral cooperation are discussed and that was the case in this meeting as well,” she added.

To another query about Russia’s deployment of its nuclear weapons in Belarus, she reiterated Pakistan’s consistent position that all states should abide by their international legal obligations and non-proliferation commitments and avoid steps inconsistent with such commitments.

“The issue of stationing nuclear weapons on territories of NPT non-nuclear weapon states, at present as well as in the past, needs to be carefully examined by all parties to the Treaty as it has serious repercussions for global peace and security,” she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023