A high-level US delegation led by Obama Administration special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman and accompanied by a top Pentagon official, is due during the current week for crucial talks encompassing matters of mutual interests, Foreign Office said Thursday.
Responding to media queries during weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan expressed his inability to share the arrival dates of high-level US delegation, which according to media reports is arriving on Saturday. When asked whether the US delegation will also discuss with the Pakistani leadership the expected military operation in North Waziristan, the spokesman neither denied nor confirmed, saying that all the issues of mutual interest including the Afghanistan conflict will come under discussion during the visit of the high-level delegation which would also comprise US Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton B Carte.
He pointed out that Grossman visit was basically part of engagements between the two countries and both sides will discuss all issues of mutual interest and concern. The visit comes amid a debate on expected military operation in North Waziristan, a long-lasting US demand to go after the militants targeting the Nato forces in Afghanistan.
About the impression that Malala Yousafzai issue is being exploited by US and Britain to launch an operation in North Waziristan‚ the spokesman rejected any such impression saying that it would be very unfortunate if we think that the issue was being exploited.
"I think we need to think about what happened and what happened was extremely condemnable, reprehensible and there is no justification whatsoever," he said, adding that people will keep coming up with all sorts of stories and conspiracy theories, but he said, "we only need to focus on or be concerned about the fact that she was attacked and it was a reprehensible act," he argued. To another query, he said that during Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov visit to Pakistan the two sides discussed Afghanistan and that there was a convergence of views on the issue. He said that both sides attach great importance to peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He also expressed ignorance when asked whether the Foreign Office received any letter from the government to be sent to Swiss authorities for reopening the graft cases of President Asif Ali Zardari on the directives of Supreme Court of Pakistan. The spokesman declined to comment when his attention was diverted towards a story carried by a Bangladeshi weekly magazine regarding an alleged affair of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and PPP's chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, rather he said that the whole story was sickening and it was not even worth-commenting.
He also declined to comment on a media report that President Zardari has turned down a summary sent by Foreign Office for appointment of Pakistan envoy to China whereas the President is backing a junior diplomat in Ministry of Foreign Affairs right against the rules and merit.
He said it was an administrative matter. "Proposals are prepared and submitted to the leadership, and at the end of the day it is the prerogative of the leadership to select whosoever they find suitable for the position," he said, adding that as a normal practice until and unless the host government conveys its agreement we do not make any appointment public.
Comments
Comments are closed.