Foreign Office says Pakistan wants to solve issues through diaogue. PHOTO: FILE
During Wednesday’s briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affiars, spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry was asked about the meeting between Aziz and Hurriyet conference leaders on the side lines of the Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM).
“It is customary that when our Foreign Minster or Foreign Secretary go to India for official commitment, they do consult Kashmiri leaders,” Chaudhry said.
Reminding that this was not the first time a Pakistani official had met with Kashmiri leaders while on an official visit to India, he said that this was “an important activity” for Pakistan.
“We believe that the Kashmir issue is the core dispute between the two countries that needs to be resolved. We further believe that Kashmiri leadership ought to be associated with the dialogue process between India and Pakistan.”
He added that Pakistan has always affirmed our moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people for their struggle to self-determine their destiny.
He also said that Pakistan was concerned over the repression of human rights in Kashmir by how Muharram processions had been banned. “Repression by the Indian forces and human right violations in the Indian occupied Kashmir are a matter of concern to us.”
Adding how several human rights organizations have also reported on this aspect, the spokesperson said that the solution lies in finding a durable solution of the Kashmir issue by engaging in a meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
Expanding on the meeting between Aziz and the Indian External Affairs Minister, and National Security Advisor, the spokesperson said that the meetings were held in constructive and cordial atmosphere in which all substantive issues were discussed including Line of Control and restarting the dialogue process.
“Pakistan believes that the dialogue process is the most effective way to resolve outstanding issues and improve relations.”
The spokesperson revealed that on Wednesday, Aziz had met with Indian premier Manmohan Singh where he had reaffirmed the Pakistan’s desire to have good neighbourly relations with India. “The need to address all outstanding issues through dialogue process was also affirmed.”
Line of Control
Asked about the expected meeting between Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of forces deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) and the working border, the spokesperson said that they had twice made contact in October.
“The two DG MOs had contact on October 25 and 29, 2013 and concurred to normalise the situation along the LoC and the Working Boundary.”
He also pointed towards the sectoral flag meeting was also held between Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force on October 29 and both sides agreed to observe ceasefire and resolve issues through local level flag meetings.
“Pakistan remains committed to implementing the decision of the two Prime Ministers that the DG MOs should meet to address the issues of ceasefire violations on the LoC,” he said but did not provide a timeline when it would happen.
“Pakistan believes that the ceasefire agreement of 2003 should be respected.”
Status of upto 54,000 Pakistan unresolved in Saudi Arabia
With clashes between unregularised workers and Suadi authorities in Riyadh saw three Ethiopian workers being killed earlier in the week, the foreign office spokesperson said that there could be as many as 54,000 Pakistanis whose status is as yet unresolved.
“I understand the status of more than 800,000 Pakistanis has been regularised.”
He added that cases of over-stayers and others are still being processed.
“This number could be 54,000.”
The spokesperson said that the Embassy in Riyadh is in close contact with the Saudi authorities and is rendering all possible help to these Pakistanis.
Nearly two million Pakistanis live and work in Saudi Arabia.
COMMENTS (15)
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"He also said that Pakistan was concerned over the repression of human rights in Kashmir by how Muharram processions had banned"
What a joke showing conerns about human abuse!
It will be long list of Minority community abuse and killing of Ahmedis, Shia etc.in Pakistan. And Do I have to mention Baluchistan????
Please look into your own house first, whole world is watching both Kashmir and Pakistan and everyone knows truth. Army presence is all due your terror factory.
If Pakistan is really serious about peace in Kashmir, then dismantle all terror infra structure in Kashmir and stop all Terrorist infiltration. Inshallah!!! there will be dialogue and eventually peace.
Is Kashmir a country? Are Pakistan and India not two countries engaging in dialogue? So how come a non-country can be given a place in a dialogue between two countries? If that's the case that Kashmir should be included in India-Pakistan dialogue so why should Balochistan be not included? How much more complicated or simple is it than this?
PoK leaders must join but who is pakistan to decide it??? who ????
For decades, Pakistan has been crying, shouting, screaming, knocking all doors, sending its establishment sponsored non-state actors to no avail. Now the same establishment sponsored non-state actors TTP have and are creating havoc inside Pakistan and destroying it within. 40,000+ dead is no joke. Pakistan will not get an inch of Kashmir but is creating the same atmosphere in Baluchistan as1971. Wake up.
Kashmiri leaders? They are sitting in the J&K legislative assembly, also in the National parliament as elected J&K representatives. The people that this article refers to as Kashmiri leaders are self certified leaders who chose not to stand in elections. Please note that while GB and Pakistani Kashir have no rperesentation in Pakistani national pariament and do not even get any allocations from national finance commission - in India the Kashmiris are not discrimnated against and have the same rights as every other Indians.
@Jibran: In India we have a parliament where issues are discussed. There is no separate APC. As such we do not understand why decisions are made through extra constitutional bodies like APCs in the parliament.
Kashmir is a core issue for Pakistan ... for India, it is a law and order issue, as India's sovereignty in Kashmir is not negotiable ... how will this two opposite positions will ever be reconciled thorugh dialogue ... ??
Discuss how much ever you want, whatever you want and chant Kashmir everyday. Because when BJP comes to power in 2014 you can forget Kashmir issue altogether.
We want our rights,why pakistan crying for kashmiri in another country where our own people tortred and murdered daily.
"He added that Pakistan has always affirmed our moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people for their struggle to self-determine their destiny."
Good! Then, Pakistan should not have any problems if the world community gives "moral and diplomatic" support to the people of Balochistan in their struggle to self-determination.
.....deluded dreams of a deluded set ...!!...totally irrelavant
If that were to happen then there would be more terrorism in this world. The West would NEVER allow that. I am now of the opinion that the West wants Pakistan to break up and be given to India. However, India would never accept that. We are soon to become history. Sooner the better for all of us.