ISLAMABAD, June 24: Pakistan on Saturday said it would reiterate its demand for civilian nuclear technology during the expert-level energy talks with the US next week.
The Pakistan-US energy dialogue will be held in Washington on Monday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam announced at the weekly briefing.
She said the Pakistan delegation would hold discussions with officials at the Department of Energy, visit US laboratories and facilities that offered alternative sources of energy and meet representatives of the private sector to explore ways of promoting cooperation in this field.
She said that multiple sources for energy were being pursued.
Answering a question, the spokesperson said there was no clash between the energy talks with the US and the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
“We want this pipeline to be built. We are pursing negotiations and it is part of our energy security requirements,” she said.
Asked if Pakistan would be competing for the seat of the UN secretary-general, the spokesperson said: “That’s a million dollar question...nothing is ruled out.”
OIC-INDIA: On New Delhi’s rejection of all references made to Jammu and Kashmir at the recent OIC foreign ministers’ meeting in Baku, Ms Aslam reiterated: “Jammu and Kashmir is a recognised dispute and it’s on the UN Security Council agenda.
“No other country except India accepts it as an integral part of India.”
She referred to the OIC secretary-general’s statement regretting India’s refusal to allow the OIC to send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan hoped that OIC’s efforts would yield result.
Ms Aslam said Pakistan and India had agreed to facilitate consular access to civilian prisoners on both sides by July 31 after which the process of their release would start.
She said that fishermen who ‘deliberately’ entered Pakistan’s territorial waters for poaching would continue to be arrested.
Referring to a recent agreement, she said all fishermen would be released by June 30. She pointed out that only 30 fishermen were in India’s custody against 432 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan.
Rejecting an allegation by the Indian army chief about a network of terrorist training camps in Pakistan, the FO spokesperson said: “May be he has a third eye, he can see what others cannot.”
TERRORISM: Responding to a question, she emphasised that addressing root causes of terrorism in Afghanistan also required a process of national reconciliation.
She said Pakistan was coordinating efforts with Afghanistan, the US and ISAF through the Tripartite Commission.
