ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: The Foreign Office on Monday declared that Pakistan would raise the issue of recurring border violations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his visit here and at the upcoming Tripartite Commission meeting.
“We have seen the reports of attacks, I’m sure these issues will be discussed both with the Afghan president and at the Tripartite Commission meeting,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said at a weekly news briefing while responding to questions about continued border violations from Afghanistan.
The Tripartite Commission’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Afghanistan.
When her attention was drawn to reported killing of two Pakistani nomad women in the border area of North Waziristan on Saturday as a result of artillery shells fired from Afghan territory, she said: “We are looking into this incident, a number of people have been killed in this attack and this is an issue that we have taken up with the US bilaterally as well as in the context of the Tripartite Commission that is scheduled to meet shortly.”
Ms Aslam referred to the statement issued by the Foreign Office on the Bajaur incident and a subsequent statement by the president in this regard. “I don’t think I need to add anything more to it,” she said.
Announcing President Karzai’s three-day visit from Wednesday, the spokesperson said he would meet the president and the prime minister and there would be a joint press stakeout with both the leaders.
She told a questioner that no agreements would be signed during the visit.
During his stay in the capital, President Karzai would also meet businessmen and investors, she said.
He would visit Charsadda to express condolences over the death of veteran leader Wali Khan.
On reported arrest of four Pakistanis in Afghanistan, Ms Aslam said: “These are media reports and we are trying to ascertain the facts and confirm whether it is true.”
CARTOON ROW: On Pakistan’s position on Iran’s call for convening of an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference over the cartoon row, the spokesperson said Islamabad had been raising the issue at every forum. “We have condemned the acts of defaming Islam and the Holy Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) and we condemned it in the strongest terms,” she said. The OIC had issued a strong statement in New York and Geneva and the OIC secretary-general had condemned it, as had member states, she said. Pakistan’s ambassadors in Geneva and New York had been instrumental in convening the OIC meetings, she said. “There is already a consensus on this issue among the Muslim countries that while we believe in the freedom of expression it is not a licence to insult and humiliate others and hurt the sensitivities of others,” she said, emphasizing that freedom of expression also entailed responsibility. In this case, the responsibility element had been missing, she said. In this context, she said, there were laws in certain European countries that clearly laid down the boundaries which could not be crossed.
“We want the UN to also take note of this. There are a number of forums where this issue can be raised,” the spokesperson stated.
Asked if Pakistan supported the calls for convening an extraordinary summit of the OIC, she said there had already been meetings of the OIC and the extraordinary summit held in December had condemned this and laid down some parameters for joint action by the Muslim countries. However, she said: “There will be further discussions on how to implement the OIC’s 10-year Plan of Action and I’m sure this issue will be discussed there.”
MANMOHAN’S VISIT: The spokesperson’s response to reports that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be travelling to Nankana Sahib in June was: “We have not received any intimation.”
In reply to a question about the Indian prime minister’s pending bilateral visit to Pakistan, she said: “The visit has not been scheduled, there is no hurdle…The visit will take place at mutually convenient dates.”
She said an invitation was extended, the Indian prime minister accepted it and it had been reiterated a number of times.
INDIAN PROPOSAL: Asked if Pakistan had responded to Indian proposal of opening visa camp offices in Karachi and Mumbai, Ms Aslam said: “We are examining the Indian proposal. However, our position is that we have an agreement, a bilateral understanding to open the two consulates-general in Karachi and Mumbai simultaneously.” She reiterated that Pakistan was doing its best to make the consulates operational at the earliest. Referring to the delay in the process, she said: “That is not due to any fault of ours.”
BUSH’S VISIT: Answering a question, Ms Aslam said dates and programme of United States President George Bush’s visit to Pakistan would be announced in due course.
She said former US president Bill Clinton would arrive here on Feb 17. The visit would be more in the context of some health projects, she said.
GAZA: The spokesperson brushed aside reports that a Pakistani trade delegation would visit Israel, saying: “I do not know of any visit taking place to Israel.” She equated these reports to earlier ones that claimed 300 Pakistani delegates visited Israel but had later proved baseless.
