ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri on Saturday clarified a news report appearing in the press regarding the briefing he had given to Senate committee on foreign affairs on Friday saying that it was a pre-planned confidential meeting not confined to Bajaur operation alone.

The minister said actual details of the Bajaur incident did not fall within the purview of the Foreign Office since it concern other ministries (interior and defence as he told the committee).

He said he had repeatedly said in the meeting that Pakistan had followed a completely independent foreign policy which was in Pakistan’s national interest and it would do so in future as well.

He had pointed out that there were many areas where Pakistan had adopted a different position from that of the US including UN resolution on Iraq prior to the war.