ISLAMABAD, April 1: Pakistan on Monday called upon the international community to come forward to bring Israeli aggression against Palestinians to an end and described the Israeli threats to kill Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as condemnable.
Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Khan told his weekly press briefing that Pakistan had already condemned the Israeli aggression which was continuing despite the OIC appeals and a resolution passed by the Arab summit recently offering a very eminent peace plan initiated by the Saudi Crown Prince, Abdullah.
He said the Israeli aggression was contrary to international norms and behaviour, and demanded pullout of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territory and a resumption of serious talks with the Palestinian Authority under the United Nations resolutions to resolve the long-standing dispute.
In reply to questions about the nature of the FBI officials’ involvement in hunting the Taliban and Al Qaeda men seeking refuge in Pakistan, the spokesman denied the US participation in any action against the alleged terrorists (in the Faisalabad raid last weekend) and said the Americans’ role was confined to sharing of intelligence with their Pakistani counterparts.
He said the US authorities were satisfied with Pakistan’s cooperation with them and they had made no request for letting US forces to carry out the hunt for the terrorists inside Pakistan.
Asked if it was true that the Americans had spread out in northern parts of the country, the spokesman termed the suggestion false, baseless and fabricated. However, he confirmed that five Sudanese in Peshawar, who were undergoing a flying course in a local club, had been taken into custody and were being questioned about their presence here.
Asked whether there was an input in taking a decision on
the proposed presidential referendum, the spokesman said there was no such thing yet. He said Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar could not attend the OIC foreign ministers meeting in Malaysia as he had taken ill with a viral infection in Geneva where he had spoken at some UN committees’ meetings last week but was forced to cut short his stay and was advised against hectic activity.
The spokesman said that the international community was still engaged in finding a “suitable and acceptable” definition of terrorism and added that Pakistan was actively contributing in the search.
He said there was no change in the deployment of the Indian and Pakistani forces on borders. However, if the Indian government did not wish to renew sports contacts with Pakistan, Islamabad was also not eager to resume it with New Delhi, the spokesman said, referring to recent consultations between the cricket boards of the countries.
APP adds: About the list of 20 fugitives, he said that India had not provided any evidence so far.
