Islamabad to reciprocate troop pullback: Talks only way to resolve disputes: FO
By Hasan Akhtar
ISLAMABAD, June 17: Pakistan will immediately reciprocate once India starts withdrawal of its troops from border which had been deployed for about six months in an offensive posture.
“Once India starts withdrawing its forces, we will certainly reciprocate the gesture. That is a very desirable thing,” Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told a questioner at a weekly press briefing here on Monday.
The spokesman said Pakistan was obliged to send its troops to forward positions in a defensive posture after India deployed its forces on the borders in offensive mode.
The spokesman urged India to respond to Islamabad’s offer to resume meaningful dialogue on the dispute which had been known, acknowledged and established as such for the last 54 years.
PLEBISCITE: When asked about recent statements of Indian ministers L.K. Advani and George Fernandes about not holding plebiscite in occupied Kashmir, the spokesman said such a stance would not help the atmosphere or to improve the relations between the two countries.
New Delhi just could not wish away the Kashmir dispute while there were ample reasons to acknowledge that it was the core issue as had been acknowledged by the international community, the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, he reiterated. Negotiations and dialogues in a meaningful manner were the only way to resolve the problem, he said.
“This is a problem which has to be resolved and the only way to resolve it is through a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue,” he emphasized.
“We are ready for talks here in Islamabad or in New Delhi,” Mr Khan said, adding that he believed that it was the only desirable thing to do. He, however, observed that so long as the Indian forces maintained their offensive posture, things could become difficult at any time.
NEW ENVOY: Responding to a question, the spokesman said that Islamabad had not received as yet any request for ‘agreement’ from New Delhi to send a new high commissioner to Pakistan. As far as Pakistan was concerned, he said, it had not withdrawn its envoy from New Delhi but recalled him because India asked for his recall. Consequently, he said, there was no move as yet for exchange of envoys.
OVERFLIGHT FACILITY: Aziz khan said Pakistan was still considering the Indian decision to reopen its skies to Pakistani civil airliners overflights, and therefore, he could not say whether the PIA flights to Bangladesh were being reintroduced.
Pakistan has also not decided as yet about Indian overflights through Pakistani airspace which was closed after the Indian decision, he added.
US NATIONALS: The spokesman confirmed that two American passport-holders had been detained while attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan but said that he did not have details about the operation which took place some time ago.
LOYA JIRGA: To a question, the spokesman termed “ridiculous” reports that some representatives from Pakistan’s tribal areas were invited to attend the Loya Jirga held recently in Kabul, adds APP.
He said Loya Jirga rules for selections were clearly laid down and it did not mention about any representations from Pakistan’s tribal areas.
The spokesman said some 30 people among the Afghan refugees and expatriates were selected for the Loya Jirga meeting. He also denied reports that Foreign Secretary Inam-ul-Haq had been appointed acting foreign minister.
