‘Pakistan wants Libya’s territorial integrity retained’

ISLAMABAD – Expressing concern over implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolution against Libya, the Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir Saturday told the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that any threat to territorial integrity of any country in the Middle East could start an endless turmoil in the region. He said, “Pakistan believes that that stability and peace in all African and Arab countries are essential to global peace and any attempt of regime change in any of the Arab country from outside must be avoided as only the people have the right to bring change in these countries.”
The foreign secretary was briefing the Senate Standing Committee about the political uprising in the Middle East. He said Pakistan hoped that the West-led military attack on Libya must not harm the territorial integrity of Libya. “Pakistan supports Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Countries and they should be leading the process to resolving the issues there.” He apprised the Senate body that over three million Pakistanis were living in different Middle East countries and that around 5,000 Pakistani people had been evacuated from Libya.
Earlier, Munawar Bhatti, Additional Secretary for the UN and the EU at the Foreign Office, said that the UN Security Council resolution against Libya was being interpreted in a way which would allow the NATO forces to carry out attacks irrespective of the concerns for the civilian population. He said that it was Colonel Qaddafi who created problems as he had a long history of conflicts with all neighboring states and world powers.
Briefing about Bahrain and Pakistanis there, Bhatti told the Senate Standing Committee that around 63,000 Pakistanis were living in Bahrain and most of them were working as security personnel.
He added that Pakistanis guarded the royal palaces, VVIP terminals of the airports and the members of the royal family. “Pakistan and Bahrain evolved this trust owing to longtime relationship but unfortunately it is being given a different colour in the present situation. Later, the Standing committee recommended that the government send its delegation to the troubled Arab countries urging them to resolve uprising issue through dialogues.