Aziz announced that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will raise the issue of drone attacks with the US on his maiden visit to Washington. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz read out the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s foreign policy statement on Friday, highlighting the state’s priorities and stances regarding major strategic issues.
Addressing the National Assembly session, Aziz announced that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will raise the issue of drone attacks with the US on his maiden visit to Washington.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will also seek commendable support from international leaders at bilateral summits during the UN General Assembly Session in September. “The prime minister will take up the issue of drones with the US and lodge a strong protest with US President Barack Obama at the UN forum,” he outlined.
On the resumption of strategic dialogue with the US, Aziz said that in his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the premier had already said the two sides agreed to resume the dialogue to foster ‘deeper, broader and a more comprehensive partnership.’
He also informed the house that Pakistan would take up the issue of India violating the Line of Control at the UN forum, if New Delhi does not cease the infringement. Aziz said that at least 11 Pakistani citizens, including eight soldiers, have been killed during the recent spate of violations.
Although Pakistan offered India to go for a UN Investigation on the Indian Army’s unprovoked firing across the LoC, New Delhi had rejected it. “India does not seem serious in decreasing the rising tension,” he observed.
He hoped that the meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session will start a new chapter in relations.
Afghanistan peace process
Sartaj Aziz also announced that the prime minister will visit Kabul soon. Pakistan will use its influence to start the talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban. Islamabad wants the dialogue process to go forward no matter where it takes place and when.
The Syrian crisis
Pakistan will not support any military action by the United States in Syria, declared Aziz. “We will wait for the findings of the UN inspectors on the alleged use of chemical weapons.”
Regarding the security of the staff at the Pakistan Mission in Syria, he said that they have been transferred to the missions in Lebanon and Jordan, while the Mission in Syria has been closed for an indefinite period.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN has conveyed Islamabad’s viewpoint on Syria, which is “rejection of regime change through external intervention and the use of force”. “[But] we condemn the use of chemical weapons and we believe in non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of states under any pretext,” he read the statement sent to Pakistan’s permanent representative, Ambassador Masood Khan.
On the possibility of an American strike on Syria and the threat by the Russian prime minister to invade Saudi Arabia in case of the strike, Aziz said that Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas just returned after a visit to Moscow and will brief the prime minister on this latest development.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2013.
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