India should not use Mumbai attacks or terrorism in general as a propaganda ploy against Islamabad as it was ready to resume a comprehensive, sustained and meaningful dialogue process with India, said foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit, here on Thursday.
"The dialogue process between the two countries should not be held hostage to Mumbai attack trial," Abdul Basit said during the last press briefing of the year. He said that India's reluctance to discuss the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Siachin, peace and security issues, against the Thimphu spirit, continues to stymie progress. "The Kashmir issue cannot be brushed aside under any circumstances," he added.
In response to a question regarding India's proposal seeking its Judicial Commission's visit to Pakistan to probe into Mumbai attacks and Pakistan's Judicial Commission to visit India, the spokesman said that Pakistan's request and India proposal fell into different categories.
"Our request in this regard has legal requirement while we did not see any legal requirement in the proposal for India's Judicial Commission to visit Pakistan," he said. When asked to comment on foreign policy failure in Dr Afia Siddiqui's case, Abdul Basit said that Pakistan made sincere political and legal efforts but could not win the case in the American court. "We have not given up and are still trying to explore different possibilities for her release," he added.
While recapitulating the achievements of foreign policy in 2010, the spokesman said that the year had been very busy and Pakistan had pursued the foreign policy based on national interest. It was ending with a high note as Chinese Premier's recent visit reaffirmed the all-weather friendship between two countries, he added.
The Spokesman said, "We are looking forward to an official visit by our President Asif Ali Zardari to the United States in the first half of next year and President Barack Obama's visit to Pakistan in the second half of 2011." In addition, French President and British Prime Minister would also visit Islamabad, he added.
We have also been able to sustain the momentum in expanding our ties with the United States (US) on the basis of mutual respect, trust and interest. The third round of the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue held in Washington in October helped push the process forward, he added.
Our relationship with European Union, Nato countries and Russia have also expanded and deepened with high-level meetings and visits. He said that close and brotherly relations with Muslim countries, especially Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC members were further strengthened during 2010.
Regarding relations with Japan and South Korea, the spokesman said that these relations continued on an upward trajectory during 2010 and both were FoDP partners. While commenting on regional situation, the spokesman said Pakistan had always been conscious of the fact that its efforts towards peace and development would remain frustratingly unsuccessful without a stable and peaceful neighbourhood.
He said that we are committed to support Afghanistan-led efforts for reconciliation and reintegration, and Pakistan is playing an important role in Afghanistan's rebuilding and reconstruction through its $330 million assistance programme. The conclusion and ratification of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) was a big step forward during 2010 and the two countries were committed to increase the bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2015, he added. He said that we are keenly looking forward to the visit of a High Council for Peace delegation led by its Chairman Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani to Pakistan next week.
Abdul Basit said that there were about 7000 Pakistanis were languishing in jails of various countries. In this respect, Special Cell for Overseas Pakistanis had been set up in the Foreign Office which had been mandated to address grievances of overseas Pakistanis, and work particularly for the repatriation of Pakistanis in jails abroad.