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Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that the government had clearly conveyed its viewpoint to the US Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen.
Talking to media persons at Multan airport, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan had also conveyed to Admiral Mullen that there were principles to be observed at the international level and sovereignty of every country should be respected at all costs.
He said in the present circumstances, there was a need to understand each other's point of view. Qureshi said Pakistan was not intimated in advance about the attack by the American forces. However, Mullen assured "us that Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity will be respected."
He said no external forces were allowed to conduct raids inside Pakistan and it was the sole responsibility of Pakistani forces to carry out operations, if required. He also condemned the incidents of cross-border terrorism that were against the sovereignty of Afghanistan. "The sovereignty of each and every country is inviolable and when we talk about respecting the sovereignty of Pakistan, let us also stop cross-border incursion in Afghanistan from our territory, which impacts the sovereignty of Afghanistan," Qureshi said.
He said the government was striving to increase its friends. "We cannot give statements on media reports," said Qureshi, adding that he would give his response after going through the pros and cons of the reports. Moreover, Pakistan was an ally of America and the Foreign Ministry was trying to present its stance to foreign countries and US drones' attacks were being condemned at the government level, he stated.
Qureshi also said Pakistani delegations would soon leave for India to hold talks on the issues of cross-LoC trains. Terming the US incursions into Pakistan 'unproductive,' he warned that these could destabilise the situation. He said Pakistan, too, had a responsibility to ensure that there should not be any instance from Pakistan's side that violated the territory of others or violated their sovereignty.
In addition, the Foreign Minister called for a long-term strategy to address the situation, saying that internal realities and compulsions had to be kept in view. He was critical of those political elements that were voicing against the government, and said it was merely a criticism just for the sake of criticism.
"We do need to increase the number of friends for Pakistan and not create more enemies," Qureshi said. "Further, We have to protect our interests and protect our sovereignty and understand the given situation," he said. The Foreign Minister further said it was agreed between the two countries that the US would not violate Pakistan integrity.
He also informed the press that the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani during his meeting with the US Admiral had expressed Pakistan's point of view in clear terms, and conveyed the aspirations of the people of Pakistan to him. Referring to the statement of Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Minister said his statement reflects Pakistan's true perspective.
Moreover, it was an established rule in the war against terror that if any action were required inside Pakistan, the Pakistan's forces would take it, while action the international forces would conduct inside Afghanistan. Replying to a question about Pak-India peace process, the Foreign Minister said.
"I think the peace process between the two countries, is not halted and Pakistan's delegation would visit India soon to discuss the possibilities of increasing trade across LoC," he said. The Minister reiterated that Pakistan was keen to send its delegation to India to discuss bilateral issues, including Kashmir. "We have to continue the peace process as it is in the interest of both the countries," Qureshi added.
"Further, though there are some difficulties, however, I am an optimist and hope that the meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly will be productive." Qureshi viewed that both Pakistan and India should show restraint while issuing statements, and added that Pakistan has shown restraint in this regard.
"We want to move in a positive direction,' he added. Responding to the recent blasts in India, the Foreign Minister said that these blasts had nothing to do with Kashmir and the movement in Kashmir was indigenous. Although, there were difficulties, but diplomacy never failed and Pakistan has never given up,' he remarked stating that Pakistan would continue its efforts to present its point of view through diplomatic channels.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

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