The government on Thursday said it was revisiting visa policy in the backdrop of Raymond Davis case, but expressed the hope that controversy, which brought allies in war against terror at a crossroads, would not make the relations with US irreparable.
"As far as the Foreign Ministry is concerned, it is our responsibility to ensure that Pak-US relations do not touch ground zero, and that we understand that the view of the (US) State Department is similar in this regard," said Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua.
Raymond Davis, the suspected CIA operative was arrested in Lahore on January 27 after he shot and killed two motorcyclists. Since detention, the US is demanding immediate release of Davis under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. Addressing the weekly press briefing at Foreign Office, Tehmina Janjua confirmed that government was evaluating its visa policy by saying, "the issue is being considered in detail".
The spokesperson declined to comment on several aspects of Davis issue, saying that the matter is sub-judice and it would be a little early for me to say anything in this regard before hearing in the LHC on March 14 to decide Davis's diplomatic status. "The foreign office is in contact with the Law and Interior ministries in this regard," she added.
When asked for comments on media reports that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were involved in negotiations to resolve the issue, she said that Pakistan and the US continue to talk to each other and Islamabad believes that "we can sort out all issues bilaterally."
While sharing some details of recent visits by US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Marc Grossman, UK National Security Advisor, Sir Peter Rickettes and UK Chief of Defence Staff, General David Richards, she said that these visits focused on exchanging views on further developments relating to Afghanistan.
Pakistan fully supports the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan, which we believe should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. "Our principle position on Afghanistan was reiterated by Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar at the meeting on Afghanistan in Jeddah. We welcome the emphasis and priority now being placed by the US on promoting the political process in Afghanistan leading to national reconciliation. In this context, we have taken note of the statement made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 18th February," she said.
Tehmina Janjua also briefed the media on first joint ministerial meeting on the strategic dialogue between Pakistan and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) held in Abu Dhabi on March 8. In this regard, she said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed that set up mechanisms and underscored focus on economic and trade ties in addition to consultation on political issues.
Under the terms of the MoU, the two sides agreed to hold annual meetings at Foreign Ministers level to be held on alternating basis between the two sides. The MoU reaffirms the two sides' desire to enhance and develop existing friendly relations in all fields, hold consultations over regional and international issues of mutual concern, and establish the structural mechanism for mutually beneficial co-operation in a wide range of areas including trade and investment, services sector, banking and finance, energy and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, agriculture and food processing, co-operation in mineral development, as well as the environment and climate change within the UN conventions.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Additional Secretary Naeem Khan gave a detailed presentation on Pakistanis evacuation operation from Libya and said that so far 3,129 Pakistanis had been brought back safely from Libya.
In this respect, 1,405 Pakistanis had been airlifted from Tripoli during last three days, similarly 46 from Algeria, 547 from Egypt, 277 from Tunisia and 854 Pakistanis have been brought back. "All our nationals are safe and there is not a single report of injury or causality," the FO official told in response to a question.
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