ISLAMABAD: As WikiLeaks disclosures continue to haunt Pakistan’s top political and military leadership, the foreign ministry prefers not to speak out clearly on the leaked US diplomatic cables.
At the weekly news briefing on Thursday, the Foreign Office spokesman faced a barrage of questions on the WikiLeaks controversy.
However, Abdul Basit refused to confirm or deny the contents of the leaked memos in what appears to be a deliberate move to play down the significance of the revelations.
“Since we are not in a position to comment on the veracity of US internal documents, it will, therefore, be inappropriate for us to comment on the contents of the confidential communications either,” he said in response to questions on WikiLeaks.
He said documents being leaked pertained to the official communications between the US and its diplomats posted the world over.
The whistle-blowing website has so far released just over 500 of 251, 287 official messages it obtained covertly.
The leaked cables provide an unprecedented look at the level of American involvement in the country’s domestic affairs.
The startling revelations also show how the country’s political and military leadership discussed purely domestic political issues with the American Ambassador. However, the foreign office seemed least bothered about it.
“It is impossible for us to comment on each and every document,” the spokesman insisted when several journalists pointed out that the foreign office officials must have been present in meetings between the US and Pakistan leaders.
“There are over 2,000 documents which reportedly originated from the US Embassy in Islamabad. So I would not know as to which meeting you are referring,” Basit maintained.
He said the Foreign Office did not issue any instructions to government officials and politicians on their interaction with the foreign diplomats in view of the WikiLeaks disclosures.
“There are laid down procedures for civil/government servants as to how they should conduct themselves vis-à-vis foreign diplomats based in Pakistan,” he said.
The spokesman denied that Pakistan had any relations with Israel but refused to deny WikiLeaks claim that ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha informed the Jewish state about possible threats to its assets in India during November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“We have no relationship with Israel and we do not even recognise Israel. So the question of having relations does not arise,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2010.
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