ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: A Pakistani delegation will visit Gaza and Al Quds next month at the invitation of Palestinian Authority’s and the trip would be facilitated by the Israeli government, Foreign Office Spokesman Naeem Khan told a weekly news briefing here on Monday.
Replying to a question the spokesman said: “The delegation will be visiting Gaza, Al Quds and some other places next month.” He was not clear who would lead the delegation and said its size and composition had yet to be finalized.
Mr Khan was evasive on the question of who the delegation would be meeting during the visit and left it at: “It will be interacting with whoever is there.”
Asked if the Israeli government would issue the visa or the permit to the members of the Pakistani delegation, he said the government was currently working out the details with the Palestinian Authority. Pressed further on the question, he added: “Once the delegation is there it would also get in touch with the Israeli authority.”
Asked if after the first formal diplomatic contact with Israel any CBMs were on cards between the two countries and if Pakistan would consider trade with Israel prior to its recognition, the spokesman did not completely rule out the possibility, saying: “No such steps have been contemplated as of now.”
He pointed out that Pakistan’s “getting close to Israel” would depend largely on the progress made on the Palestinian issue and vacation of Palestinian territory by the occupation troops.
“Future direction of Pakistan-Israel ties depends on decisive moves on the Palestine issue,” Mr Khan observed.
He made it clear that more positive steps taken by Israel on this front would not only be responded positively by Pakistan but also by other Muslim countries.
Replying to a question, he clarified that the Palestinian ambassador had not been ‘summoned’ by the Foreign Office last week but just ‘called in’ for bilateral consultations.
Spokesman Khan read out the statement made by the Palestinian president on Sunday when asked about the reservations expressed by the deputy Palestinian prime minister on Pakistan’s contact with Israel and added: “I would rather go by what the president himself has said.”
Mr Khan then reiterated that there was no change in Pakistan’s foreign policy on Palestine.
In reply to a question, he said Pakistan would like to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Al Quds as its capital.
INDO-PAKISTAN: When the spokesman’s attention was drawn to Indian foreign secretary’s statement that there would be no redrawing of geographical boundaries on Kashmir, he said: “We have always stated that the Line of Control (LoC) cannot be a boundary between Pakistan and India and this position cannot be abandoned.”
The spokesman maintained there had been a focus on Kashmir issue for sometime and recalled President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s discussions on the subject with Indian prime minister during his visit to New Delhi.
He specifically referred to discussions on resolving the issue of Jammu and Kashmir which were also reflected in the April 18 joint statement issued in Delhi.
Mr Khan said when the two leaders meet on the margins of the UN General Assembly session in New York later this month the main focus would be on the Kashmir issue.
“It is important that both countries should work together in a manner that Kashmir issue is addressed with the participation of Pakistan, India and people of Kashmir,” he said.
On Indian concern about adverse security situation in the held Kashmir, he said Pakistan was against terrorism and had clearly conveyed it to the Indian foreign secretary during talks here last week.
He said the Indian foreign secretary was also told that violence in the held Kashmir was linked to human rights violation. “Pakistan demanded that human rights issue be addressed more seriously and we also asked for withdrawal of Indian troops from population centres in the held Kashmir,” he added.
Responding to another question, Mr Khan said Pakistan would like the peace process to move faster.
He emphasized that progress on the issues included in the composite dialogue process should move in tandem with the progress on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
He said Pakistan welcomed the APHC meeting with the Indian leadership and believed it would strengthen the peace process between Pakistan and India.
He made it clear that Pakistan had no favourites as far as the Hurriyat leadership was concerned.
Underlining the importance of peace process, he said there were three parties to the Kashmir dispute and association of Kashmiris with the dialogue process was imperative for durable peace in South Asia.
The spokesman said President Musharraf would be meeting several world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session including the Chinese leader, Indian prime minister, President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
LARIJANI’S VISIT: Mr Khan said chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani’s visit to Pakistan on Monday had been rescheduled and he was expected to visit soon.
He pointed out that the visit was to take place at the request of the Iranian government, which wishes to inform Pakistan about its discussions with the EU and also the IAEA on the nuclear issue.
The reasons cited for the last-minute postponement of the visit by the Iranian side were “some technical difficulties and some last-minute commitments”, Mr Khan told a questioner.
He dispelled the impression that the postponement of the visit was linked to Pakistan’s first diplomatic contact with Israel, saying: “It has nothing to do with it and I can assure you that it will take place shortly.”
Replying to a question about reports on Iran having reservations on the contact, the spokesman said: “No such thing has been conveyed to Pakistan by our Iranian brothers.”
He maintained that Pakistan had taken the decision to help promote the Middle East peace process.
The Iranian government informed Pakistan about the postponement on the eve of the visit, and was expected to take place later this week.
Spokesman Khan said Pakistan’s position on Iranian nuclear issue had been very clear.
In response to a question, he said: “We have been supporting peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue and we have maintained that the issue should be discussed and resolved within the IAEA framework.”
He underlined that Pakistan opposed applying of any coercive measures against Iran. “Any solution should take into account international rights and obligations of both parties,” he added.
RELEASE OF PAKISTANIS: Mr Khan said the eight Pakistanis who had gone missing in Iraq a few weeks ago were in the custody of Iraqi authorities and the government was making all efforts to secure their early release.
“It is the government’s top priority and in this regard we have been in touch with the Iraqi authorities, American mission in Baghdad, Iraqi mission in Aman and the Kuwaiti company that had hired these Pakistanis,” he said, adding that the matter had also been taken up with the Iraqi ambassador in Islamabad several times.
The spokesman said he was not aware of any ransom being involved in the matter.
