April 30, 2002	Tuesday	Safar 16, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, April 29: The Foreign Office on Monday asserted that holding of referendum on Gen Pervez Musharraf’s term as president was Pakistan’s “internal matter” which did not alter in any way the president’s pledge to the international community that “the roadmap to democracy” will be strictly followed.

FO spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan said at a press briefing that no foreign government had conveyed its “concern” to Islamabad over the decision to hold the referendum. He said he saw no reason to be “overly worried” about the re-entry into the Commonwealth or about its relations with the European Community because of the referendum issue.

He said he believed that as soon as Pakistan implemented the roadmap in accordance with the Supreme Court decision later this year, its re-entry into the Commonwealth would be examined by the organization.

He said he was unaware whether EU intended to defer implementation of its cooperation pact with Islamabad till after October elections.

There should no more be any doubt about referendum’s validity in anyone’s mind after the Supreme Court verdict, he said. When quizzed whether any foreign team would be monitoring the exercise, he said it was not contemplated.

He denied any impropriety in the transaction relating to the sale of Pakistan chancery and embassy in Jakarta. He said after the sale deed had been finalized, a foreign office team had been sent to look into details and procedure adopted for the sale. It was only after the team approved the deed and the procedure adopted in this regard that the government allowed the sale of the chancery building. The embassy, which served as ambassador’s residence, still remained unsold, he added.

Asked whether the Indians had started withdrawing their troops massed along borders with Pakistan, the spokesman replied in the negative, saying there had been no change in the situation on the border. He pointed out that almost all the countries worried about the India-Pakistan military face-off had supported Pakistan’s plea that the massive military deployment should be ended and the two governments should resume dialogue to resolve their contentious issues. But New Delhi remained intransigent, he said.

The FO spokesman said that not only Pakistan but many foreign governments and international bodies regarded as deplorable the continuing communal violence in the Gujarat state of India, which had caused heavy loss of life and property mostly to the Muslim citizens of that country. Pakistan hoped the Indian government would adopt measures to restrain communal forces and guarantee security and safety of i