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| 09 March 2004 | Tuesday | 17 Muharram 1425 |
Pakistan denies any spring operation
ISLAMABAD, March 8: The foreign office here on Monday said no "spring operation" in Afghanistan and Pakistan's tribal belt in collaboration with the American and other western forces was on the cards.
However, it clearly indicated that Pakistan remained prepared for military operation "all the time" since it has been engaged in the on-going "war on terror" and was maintaining continuous exchange of intelligence with allied forces.
Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan was asked at his weekly press briefing to state whether there was "something specific" in a flurry of media reports emanating mainly from foreign sources, about any decisive military offensive codenamed spring offensive, on the Americans' initiative.
Mr Masood Khan did not elaborate but said nothing by way of "spring offensive" in Afghanistan or Pakistan's tribal belt was planned. However, as a key member of the international coalition against "war on terror" which was launched to root out Taliban and Al Qaeda elements, Islamabad maintained continuous intelligence exchange with forces operating in Afghanistan and remained "prepared all the time" to join the operation against "the obvious target" (Taliban and Al Qaeda elements), the spokesman said.
About the latest visit to Saudi Arabia by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, the spokesman said that the President had held high level exchange of views with the Saudi leadership "and achieved all objectives, primarily to exchange views and coordinate positions on all issues."
He did not elaborate. The two sides also discussed and exchanged views on regional and bilateral issues including the state of composite bilateral dialogue process and normalization of relations between India and Pakistan, he said.
Mr Masood Khan told the briefing that UAE deputy prime minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan during his one-day official visit on Monday to Islamabad conveyed a message to President Gen Pervez Musharraf, from UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan on further strengthening the fraternal ties between the two countries.
The UAE delegation also called on Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and held talks with foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. The delegation also signed three agreements with the Pakistan government on extradition of criminals, media and cultural affairs.
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