Breaking its months-long silence, Pakistan on Thursday announced it had formally recognised the new National Transitional Council (NTC) government of Libya, which came into power after the ousting and death of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Pakistan had earlier expressed its concerns over foreign intervention in Libya and also the use of force to change the government in Tripoli, when the Libyan people rose up against Gaddafi, backed by NATO.
The foreign policy managers in Islamabad had opted for a wait-and-see policy owing to the fluid situation in Libya as the NTC rebels fought Gaddafi loyalists for months in various parts of Libya. One other reason for Pakistan’s reluctance to recognise the new Libyan government was the country’s decades-old ties with Gaddafi.
“Pakistan maintains an embassy in Libya. There is a Libyan embassy in Islamabad. We have long-standing ties with the Libyan people.
We wish them a prosperous future and it is important to note that in case of any change in government it is not every time that a government is recognised but it is the state that is recognized, and we recognise both the state and the government of Libya,” said Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua at her weekly press briefing.
NORMALISING: To a question about granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, she said: “The cabinet gave the Commerce Ministry the mandate to take the process of normalisation forward, which would culminate in the observance of MFN principle in its true spirit.
“It is evident that we wish to normalise trade relations with India in a mutually beneficial manner. The cabinet unanimously decided in principle to accord MFN status to India, which both sides will have to work towards in further engagements by the commerce secretaries,” she added.
“As I have already said in our last briefing, the issue of peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, for example, was discussed by the foreign secretaries in the meeting that was held earlier this year and later by the foreign ministers themselves, and a reference to this discussion is also included in the joint statement that was adopted following the visit by the foreign minister to India,” said Tehmina.
Janjua said the trilateral meeting of the presidents of Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan, assisted by foreign ministers, proved to be extremely useful.
TRAINING: She said two protocols were signed among the three countries to train police personnel and conduct mutual military exercises. Under the trilateral pact, the Pakistan Army would train the Afghan National Army as well as police, she added.
