Pakistan and India have agreed to the much-awaited schedule of meetings of six working groups (WGs) which are part of the composite dialogue between the two countries, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam announced on Monday in her weekly news briefing.
She said that the third round of Pak-India foreign secretary-level composite dialogue on peace and security and confidence-building measures (CBMs), including Jammu and Kashmir, was held on 17-18 January 2006 in New Delhi.
Tasnim Aslam said that the two sides have now agreed upon the schedule of meetings of working groups in the third round, which is: (I) Economic and Commercial Cooperation-27-29th March in Islamabad (ii) Wuller Barrage 18-19th April Islamabad (iii) Siachen 23-24th May New Delhi, (iv) Sir Creek 25-26th May New Delhi, (v) Promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields 1-2nd June New Delhi (vi) Terror & Drug Trafficking 30-31st May Islamabad.
The spokesperson said that foreign secretary-level review meeting will be held on 20th July, while foreign minister review meeting will take place on 21st July and joint ministerial commission meeting will be held on 22nd July in New Delhi.
Tasnim Aslam said that the United States was engaged in the peace process between Pakistan and India as President Bush and other senior US officials have repeatedly said that they were facilitating, encouraging and nudging the two sides for success of the peace dialogue, especially Jammu and Kashmir dispute has to be resolved by Pakistan and India in consultation and taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people and that process is on track.
She said that Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute, it is on UN agenda, but we want to resolve it bilaterally and we were making efforts towards that end, however, the solution should be acceptable to all the stakeholders-Pakistan, India and Kashmiris.
The FO spokesperson categorically stated that "the gas pipeline project with Iran is intact and as we have repeatedly said we were and will remain fully committed to it.
Elaborating on the country's nuclear programme, Tasnim Aslam said, "Our nuclear deterrent is well in place, it is working well and we are very happy with that."
"What we have discussed with the US is the civilian nuclear technology for our energy requirements and it has nothing to do with the Washington -New Delhi deal because we formulated out energy security policy long time ago and it was done basically taking into account our increasing energy requirement and depleting gas resources" she added.
The spokesperson said that this policy envisages production of 8800-megawatt electricity from the nuclear power plants. "At the moment we have a facility of 300 megawatt and the other 300 megawatt facility is under construction and during the next 20 years, we have to augment that and our quest for civilian nuclear energy is in that context" she elaborated.
Tasnim Aslam said that Pakistan has several options for acquisition of civilian nuclear technology other than the United States and they are under consideration and added that during President Bush's visit, Pakistan and the US established a high-level energy dialogue and under that dialogue we will explore various options also since we have to meet our growing energy requirements.
With regard to nuclear proliferation, she said, " no country having the nuclear technology has had an impeccable record; there have been leaks from every country and there is ample evidence of that and you don't have to go far, you can look at IAEA documents, you can look at the people who have been arrested; you just have to look at the history of proliferation, you will get the answer."
The FO spokesperson pointed out that "in this region, we are not the first to proliferate and that is a fact."