Daily Times : Top military change won’t affect war on terror commitment: FO

Top military change won’t affect war on terror commitment: FO

* Spokesman says suspension of C’wealth membership will not affect Pakistan materially

sajjad malik | November 29, 2007

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Wednesday that the change in the top military command would not dent Pakistan’s role in the US-led war on terror.

“There would be no shift in the war on terror due to President General Pervez Musharraf’s doffing of uniform … it has nothing to do with the war on terror policy,” Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said at a weekly press briefing.

He said reports about the delay in the composite dialogue process with India were not true. “The reports about a delay of the peace process were only in the media, there was nothing like that on the ground, so I cannot verify them,” Sadiq said.

He said India and Pakistan had agreed to open five crossing points along the Line of Control (LoC) at Chakhoti, Rawalakot, Nosehri, Haji Pir and Tatta Pani to facilitate Kashmiris in cross-LoC movement, but only the first three points could be opened and they were still operational.

He said Turkish President Abdullah Gul would visit Pakistan on December 2. He said the visit was taking place to mark the 60th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Completely unaffected: Sadiq said Pakistan had not yet formally decided about a future strategy regarding the Commonwealth, after suspension of its membership on November 22. He said the suspension would not affect Pakistan materially, as the ongoing cooperation with the Commonwealth in different areas would continue. “We can only not attend the meetings,” he said.

He said Pakistani missions abroad had so far not received any request for a visa to monitor the forthcoming elections. He hoped that these missions would get solid proposals from interested groups to visit Pakistan to cover the polls.

He also rejected the impression that Pakistan had acted against the wishes of Hamas by attending the US-sponsored Middle East Conference. “All Middle East countries attended the conference and our participation was not meant to send a message to anyone,” he said, adding that Pakistan attended the conference in Annapolis, USA, because it was invited by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“Pakistan believes that the resolution of the Palestine issue is essential to ensure peace and stability, and the alleviation of sufferings in the Middle East,” he said. He also welcomed the establishment of a Pak-Sri Lanka Association by the Sri Lankan parliament on November 21 and said it signified the deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

On the issuance of licenses to friendly Arab leaders for hunting Houbara Bustards in Pakistan, Sadiq said the practice had been going on for decades, but licenses were issued only for a limited area and a specified period.

He said the government was also promoting the artificial breeding of the bird. He confirmed that the government had sent two groups to Europe and the US to meet Pakistani expatriates and leaders of these countries to inform them about developments in Pakistan.

To a question about the extradition of Rashid Rauf, the main accused in the aborted transatlantic aircraft plot, he said, “I am not aware of it as only the Interior Ministry would know.” On the Iran nuclear issue, Sadiq said the issue should be resolved through talks at the International Atomic Energy Authority level.