Pakistan committed to IP project, says FO

FO rejects baseless assertions made about it in US report

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office has said that Pakistan is committed to complete the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project as it considers it an important project that symbolises friendship between the two countries.

Speaking at the weekly news briefing on Thursday, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said there were some issues regarding the completion of the project for which both countries were engaged in talks.

"We will continue to discuss with Iran all aspects of the completion of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline," she added.

With respect to the United States report on religious freedom, she said, "Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless assertions made about it in the International Religious Freedom Report released by the US Department of State. Such ill-informed reporting exercises about internal affairs of sovereign states are pointless, irresponsible and counterproductive."

She said Pakistan strongly believed that each state itself had the primary responsibility to promote and protect religious rights and freedoms of its nationals.

Regarding the situation in Palestine, she said Pakistan had been closely following the developments in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories and was concerned about the impact of violence on the civilian population.

"We strongly condemn the loss of precious lives of more than 33 Palestinians, including women and children, over the last several days and pray for the recovery of those injured."

To a question, she said for the last seven decades, Pakistan had been a consistent and passionate supporter of the Kashmir cause and the rights of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), including their right to self-determination as envisioned under the United Nations Security Council resolutions and promised by the international community several decades ago.

She said Pakistan had consistently made its position clear on the situation in IIOJK and Pakistan's principled stance on the Kashmir dispute.

"Our principled stance is rooted in the UN Security Council resolutions which call for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute on the basis of the aspirations of the Kashmiri people as determined under a free and fair UN supervised plebiscite and this position has not changed."

To another question, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan was passing through a difficult situation. However, she believed that Pakistan had the capacity to persevere in adversity.

"We have in the past overcome many challenges and we will InshaAllah come out of the current challenging situation with national consensus, will of the people and on the basis of our laws and Constitution."

Regarding the Afghan refugees, she said Pakistan had remained in contact with Afghan friends and brothers for the return of Afghan refugees safely and in dignity to their homeland.

"We hope that the situation in Afghanistan improves and they are able to return home very soon."

To a question, she said the government of Pakistan and its missions abroad, including those in the Middle East, were fully committed to facilitating Pakistanis in distress, Pakistanis who might be involved in accidents or who might have other challenges when they were abroad.

"Our embassies work with the departments concerned of the host governments to ensure that the interests of Pakistanis overseas are protected. At the same time, we respect the laws and regulations of the country concerned and we encourage Pakistani nationals there to respect those laws as well. With respect to specific cases, I would advise you to send a separate inquiry to us so that we can consult our missions concerned," she said.