The Foreign Office Thursday insisted that Pakistan will not tolerate even a 'shadow' of Daesh over the country amid reports of a group of women and children from Lahore who had left for Syria and allegedly joined the terror network. During his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah rejected the presence of Daesh in the country following the arrest of some suspected terrorists associated with the global network.
He said that some people who associate themselves with Daesh have been arrested in Sialkot and investigations are under way. He also declined to comment on reports about 20 women and children who have joined Daesh in Syria, saying he was not in a position to comment on who has left Pakistan and for what purpose. "In the context of presence of Daesh in Pakistan, we have consistently made several points. Firstly, there is no footprint of Daesh in Pakistan. Secondly, we will not tolerate even the shadow of Daesh in Pakistan. Thirdly, we have alerted our security agencies to the threat posed by Daesh," he said, adding the security agencies will take appropriate action, if required.
The spokesperson further said that Pakistani authorities were also trying to ascertain the facts through our concerned missions in Turkey and the US about the media reports which claimed that certain people belonging to Pakistan have been arrested in that country due to their alleged connection with terrorists.
About the upcoming meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India, he said foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet in Islamabad in mid January. "Exact date of the meeting and further details will be announced in due course," he said. As far as agenda is concerned, he said that the foreign secretaries will work out the modalities and schedule of the meetings of various segments under the Dialogue, in accordance with the Joint Statement of 09 December 2015.
However, he said that all issues of concern to Pakistan will be discussed as part of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, which includes a segment on peace and security. He said that the two countries need to resolve all outstanding disputes peacefully through dialogue. He said that Indian Prime Minister also visited Pakistan a few days ago, which was a positive step, adding the dialogue process would be helpful in resolving outstanding disputes peacefully and enhancing bilateral cooperation.
Asked to comment on the Indian media reports about the arrest of their servicemen for having alleged connections with ISI, the spokesperson said that they are aware of the media reports coming from India. "But officially we have not been conveyed any information in this regard," he said, adding allegations against ISI have been made in the past as well but have not been proved. We have always rejected them," he added.
To a question about the possible resumption of talks between Afghan government and the Taliban, he said that consultations are under way to host the first meeting of the Quadrilateral Co-ordination Committee in Islamabad in the second week of January. However, he said that exact date of the meeting and the level of representation as well as agenda of the meeting are being worked out through consultations with Afghanistan, China and the US.
To another query about dealing with those terrorist groups who are not in favour of talks, he said the purpose of the quadrilateral process is to develop consensus on all aspects of the reconciliation process, so that we can take the peace process forward in a meaningful manner.
About Pakistan's participation in the Saudi-led 34-nation military coalition, he said that Pakistan has joined the coalition against terrorism and the extent of our participation will be decided in the light of additional information that has been sought from Saudi Arabia.
To another query, he said Pakistan and Iran enjoy friendly relations, adding Pakistan welcomed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed between Iran and P5+1 on Iran's nuclear program. "We have been saying that lifting of sanctions on Iran would provide both sides opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation," he added. Highlighting the foreign policy achievements, he said that Pakistan was able to significantly enhance its relations with all neighbouring countries.
He further said that non-interference in internal affairs of other countries, support for peaceful resolution of conflicts, support for counter terrorism efforts at all levels, emphasis on peace, stability, connectivity and development remained the hallmark of our foreign policy. He stated that in 2016, Pakistan will continue the momentum generated by its foreign policy in 2015 to further enhance Pakistan's national interests and promote peace and stability in the region.
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