ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The government on Wednesday cautioned Washington against attaching any conditionality to the US assistance programme for Pakistan, saying that such a move would be detrimental to bilateral relations.
“Conditionalities would not serve the interest of Pakistan–US relations which are very important for peace, stability and progress in the region,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Sadiq said at a weekly news briefing when his comments were sought on a bill passed by the US House of Representatives.
He said Pakistan was closely following the developments in the ongoing appropriations process in the US Congress. “We will continue to engage with the United States and the US Congress on this issue. This is actually not the end of the matter. This is just the beginning because it has to go through several steps.”
He said the government in its interaction with the US administration and members of the Congress had emphasised the need to avoid conditionalities.
When his attention was drawn to recent statements from Washington about US trying to help Pakistan establish control in the tribal areas, he said: “We will not allow any other country to act inside Pakistan’s territory against extremists. Pakistan army will do that and it is capable and willing to do that.”
Reacting to an interview of the Indian national security adviser, the spokesman asserted: “Pakistan is not involved in any kind of terrorism or extremist activity in India and Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used for that purpose.”
N-PROGRAMME: When asked if Pakistan had a post-Musharraf policy to safeguard the nuclear assets, he underscored that the National Command Authority (NCA) that had been established to secure the country’s strategic assets was an institution and not linked with one person.
“It does not say that President Musharraf will head it. It says that the president of Pakistan will head it, and whosoever is in that position will be taking responsibility,” he stated.
COMMONWEALTH: In reply to a question, the spokesman said: “The Commonwealth itself has announced that it will be considering the issue of Pakistan’s membership after elections are held.”
He said the government had received a request from the Commonwealth for its observers to monitor the elections but “we have not taken a decision on that request so far.”
