Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in upcoming four-party talks on the Afghan peace process in Moscow, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said on Wednesday.
Addressing a weekly briefing, Dr Faisal said Pakistan will attend the talks and the additional secretary for Afghanistan and West Asia will represent Islamabad.
“Pakistan had participated in the first round of four-party talks in Beijing in July this year,” he said.
“Pakistan has been part of all efforts and processes to facilitate the afghan peace talks and reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan.” Speaking about the Kartarpur agreement between Pakistan and India, Dr Faisal said, Islamabad and New Delhi are likely to sign agreement pertaining to the opening of Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday.“It is our effort to get the agreement signed tomorrow,” he said.
The spokesperson said a mechanism has been evolved for the visits of Yatrees to GurdawaraDarbar Sahib. “The Yatrees will come in the morning and go back in the evening. Full details of the Kartarpuroperationalisation agreement will be shared after its signing,” he added.
Dr Faisal further said each visiting Yatrees will have to pay $20 service charges. Alluding to the tension with India, the spokesperson said, “We have noticed that anti-Pakistan tirade of BJP leadership is continuing as the electoral process in the Indian states of Haryana and Marharstara advances.”
“Pakistan categorically rejects the Indian allegations and threats as well as distortion of history and facts,” he asserted. The spokesperson once again strongly rejected the claims of Indian Army Chief about the so called launchpads targeted by India along the Line of Control (LoC).
He called upon the P-5 countries to ask India to provide information about the so called alleged launchpads.
On the subject of the visit of diplomatic corps to LoC, Dr Faisal said Pakistan had requested the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to share the details of the alleged locations to back their allegations. “No response has so far been received from the Indian High Commission,” he shared.
The spokesperson said Pakistan does not harbor aggressive designs but our armed forces and the people remain ready to defend the country against any act of aggression. “Pakistan’s position on festering Kashmir is very clear and unchanged. The resolution of this dispute lies in the aspirations of Kashmiri people as per the UN Security Council resolutions,” he said. “We [Pakistan] will continue its efforts as part of shared responsibility to make international peace efforts successful in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson added.
Talking about the Kartarpur Corridor agreement, Dr. Faisal said Pakistan and India are likely to sign the accord for the opening of the corridor on Thursday (tomorrow). He said full details of the Kartarpur operationalization agreement will be shared after its signing.
The spokesperson said “we have noticed that anti-Pakistan tirade of BJP leadership is continuing as the electoral process in the Indian states of Haryana and Maharashtra advances.” He said Pakistan categorically rejects the Indian allegations and threats as well as distortion of history and facts.
To a question about Malaysian President Mahathir Mohammed’s stance on Kashmir dispute, the spokesperson said Pakistan is proud of its Malaysian brothers and sisters. When asked about Indian water aggression, the spokesperson said Pakistan will fight its case at an appropriate forum its rights under the Indus Water Treaty were challenged.
