Commenting reports about operation in North Waziristan Agency, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua has said that Pakistan is fighting against terrorism for its own national interests and any decision for any operation will be taken as per Pakistan’s own interests and priorities.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said at the weekly news briefing here on Thursday that President Asif Ali Zardari is to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be held at Astana in Kazakhstan on 15th of this month.
She said that the summit will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the organization.
Issues of regional and global peace and security will be high on the agenda of the summit.
The spokesperson said the President’s participation signals the importance Pakistan attaches to the SCO and its keen interest in working the regional development agenda including building commerce and trade facilities, financial and banking cooperation, energy transaction and corporate sector interactions.
She said Pakistan will also attend the Asia-Europe Meeting in Budapest on 6th and 7th of this month. Pakistan fully subscribes to the concept of inter-regional cooperation in Asia.
The spokesperson said at the invitation of Foreign Secretary, his counterpart Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jaweed Lodin will pay a three day visit to Pakistan from Sunday next. Both sides will be working to complete the preparations for a visit by the Afghan President in the near future.
Tehmina Janjua said Pakistan and Afghanistan have finalized, subject to final approval by both governments, the implementation details of new Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement.
To a question she said Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed on a two tiered joint Commission for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
She said that Pakistan has announced membership of the commission and the Afghan Government has yet to do that.
She said at the instance of Islamabad, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States have formed a core group to promote the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
The spokesperson said the dialogue process with India is going according to schedule and the two sides are in the process of finalizing dates for the Foreign Secretary level talks on peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, and friendly exchanges.
Replying to a question she said Pakistan is going into the dialogue process with India with an open and constructive mind and with the objective of having result oriented talks. About Kishanganga, she said
Pakistan is in the process of going into the court of arbitration as per Indus Basin Treaty.
To another question she said Pakistan has presented a non-paper on Siachin during recently concluded Defence Secretary level talks which clearly outlines the country’s position on the issue.
The spokesperson told a questioner that Pakistan and India are having talks on the visa regime. She said that Pakistan’s effort is to facilitate as much as possible people who wish to visit families in Pakistan and the business community.
Responding to a question she said preparations are underway for holding of next round of Pakistan-US strategic dialogue.
She said during visits of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Senator John Kerry, Pakistan and United States agreed on joint operations but added that it doesn’t necessarily mean presence of foreign troops on Pakistani soil.
It could be sharing of intelligence, she said.
