Chairman Senate Mohammedmian Soomro on Friday met and exchanged greetings with a number of dignitaries on the occasion of state funeral ceremony for president Ronald Reagan at the National Cathedral.
"While passing by, I shook hands with President George Bush," he stated in response to a question.
He said he informally met Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Ms Christina Rocca.
At a press briefing held at a local hotel, Soomro was asked with whom he had the chance to meet during the state funeral.
The purpose of attending the ceremony, he said, was to condole the sad demise of President Reagan, who was a friend of Pakistan.
In the informal contacts with US administration officials, he said, a general mention of Pakistan-US relations as well as economic co-operation was made. He said, Pakistan ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi was also present.
Soomro said visit plans of Armitage and Ms. Rocca to Pakistan also came up under discussion, during these informal contacts.
Soomro told a questioner that democratic order was in place, parliament was functioning, normal rules of procedure were followed with question-answer session, privileges and call attention notices, and substantive legislative business being conducted.
He disapproved the assertion that law and order was a problem in Karachi, stating that though improvements were needed, as always, it was incorrect to claim that life was not normal.
Certain undesirable incidents had no doubt taken place causing some loss of precious lives, but the law and order situation was very much under control.
In respect of Wana, he said the concerned officials have time and again categorically stated that the objective behind the operation was to apprehend or flush out foreign elements, which were involved in using Pak territory for committing terrorist acts.
About resignation of Sindh chief minister Mahar and his replacement, he said it was based on a formal process from the Sindh governor, and was very much constitutional.
Soomro said the democratic institutions were very much stable. "Wherever there are coalitions, the number game is very much there," and coalition partners could have their demands for a change, which was a legal right.
He said: "Speculations at the Centre, if any, have already ended and the parliament would, Insha-Allah, complete its constitutional tenure."
To a question, the Senate chairman said 12 heads of governments, mainly those of G-8 countries, who were attending their conference at Sea Island in Georgia, were present to represent their countries at the state funeral rites for Ronald Reagan.
He was asked by the Foreign Office to represent Pakistan at the state funeral, depending on the level of participation needed.
Intervening, ambassador Qazi said, Soomro had conducted the assigned task very well. To a question, Mohammadmian Soomro said Pakistan conducts its foreign policy in the light of its national interest.
He said this, on being asked to comment on the purported remarks by Democrat presidential hopeful John Kerry.
He said he could not comment on what Senator Kerry might have said or not, as he could himself better dilate over it.
NUCLEAR ISSUE: On nuclear issue, he emphatically said that foreign minister, prime minister and the president are very much on record having categorically stated that there would be no nuclear roll back.
"Pakistan has recently successfully test-fired new missiles how can there be a roll back."
Asked to comment on politicians conducting politics from foreign soil, he said it was up to the voters to decide whom to vote, in a democratic polity.
To a question, he said Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had issued a joint statement the other day that they had no differences, whatsoever, hence, all speculation in this behalf was without any basis.
Of his meeting with the Indian external affairs minister earlier Friday, he said, Natwar Singh was keen that this relationship should improve, and there should be more interactions.
"He (Singh) said this at the State Department, and also at the Cathedral funeral service," Soomro stated.
In fact, he said, Natwar Singh was seated next to him. He further said, "the Indian external affairs minister is quite known to ambassador Qazi during his stay in New Delhi as the Pakistan envoy."
On completion of development schemes, he said in new national budget, more fund allocations would be earmarked for social sector, and regular monitoring of the pace of development activity is conducted by the provincial governments and the federal government, respectively, with respect to their respective fund allocations.
Soomro later left for Pakistan, at the conclusion of his brief visit to the US capital.
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