November 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 6, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Pakistan on Monday hoped that India would communicate its participation in the seven-member Saarc summit before a cut-off date for the invitations was decided.

This was stated by the foreign office spokesman, Aziz Ahmad Khan, at his press briefing in reply to the question whether all Saarc members had confirmed their participation in the summit to be held in Islamabad on Jan 11-13.

The spokesman said that five members had communicated that they would attend the summit but a response from India and Bhutan was awaited. The attendance of the heads of all seven member states/governments was necessary for the summit, he added.

In reply to another question, the spokesman said that Islamabad would wait for “a few days more” before deciding on the cut-off date for a response from Delhi and Thimphu. He expressed the hope that India would soon communicate its acceptance since a considerable time was required to make arrangements for holding the summit.

Asked for comments on the Iraqi foreign minister’s remarks that the United States had “coerced” the world community and the UN Security Council into adopting a tough resolution to disarm Iraq, the spokesman stated that Pakistan had “always maintained that all contentious issues should be resolved through negotiations/dialogue peacefully, and the UNSC resolutions should be implemented”.

The resolution was under the UN chapter No 7 which was mandatory on all member states. The spokesman hoped that as the resolution was passed unanimously the Iraqi problem would “be resolved amicably and to the satisfaction of all concerned”.

Asked whether the foreign office would not take any initiative, particularly about the Indo-Pakistan contacts, till a prospective government took over in Islamabad, the spokesman said that Pakistan had never shied away from talks on all bilateral issues with India. But, he pointed out, at present the ball was in India’s court and Pakistan expected India to respond.

In reply to another question, the spokesman said that while Pakistan had taken active part in all Saarc deliberations and discussions on economic issues of regional interest.

Asked about a reported encounter in Delhi resulting in deaths of two alleged Pakistanis, the spokesman said that Indian press itself had elaborately reported on the incident and exposed it as a totally fake incident staged by the Indian security men.

APP adds: Pakistan said it would not accept attachment of any conditionality to the holding of the summit. The spokesman said this in reply to a question about reports of India’s insistence on linking the summit to progress on the South Asia Free Trade Agreement.

Such agreements, he said, were complicated matters and required consideration of many issues.

Answering a question about the resumption of flights, the spokesman said that Pakistan would react only after a move by India as it was Delhi that had stopped the flights.