IP pipeline beyond US curbs’ scope: FO

Pakistan on Thursday said that it was committed to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and there was no change in its stance on the vital project, which was beyond the scope of US sanctions imposed against Tehran. “There is no change in our stance and we are working to complete the project by 2014.
We believe that this project is beyond the scope of the relevant UN resolutions which we are obliged to comply with like all other member states,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said in his weekly press briefing. He said although Pakistan was studying the US legislation about sanctions on Iran, it was clear that Pak-Iran gas pipeline was not covered by them. He said Pakistan had repeatedly said that the nuclear issue of Iran should be resolved peacefully through negotiations and dialogue by the international community. To another question on media reports about the Iranian president’s visit to Pakistan, he said, “No such bilateral visit between Pakistan and Iran has been finalised yet.” When his attention was drawn to US Special Envoy Marc Grossman’s statement that US was ready to engage with Pakistan anywhere and anytime, Basit said, “There is no disengagement. We are engaged through diplomatic channels.”
“The US ambassador in Pakistan is very active and met the foreign minister the day before yesterday and our ambassador in Washington has been meeting senior officials. However, interaction at the political level would have to wait until the completion of our parliamentary process underway to rewrite terms of engagement with the US and NATO,” he said. When his comment was sought on President Obama’s recent address that US would continue to fight against al Qaeda and terrorists hiding in Afghanistan, he said, “We share the US objective of eliminating al Qaeda and militancy.” On media reports about some of the Pakistani FO officials directly engaged in opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, he said, “I am not aware of any such engagement.”
To a query on media reports indicating that the Taliban had shared with the Pakistani side contents of their peace talks with the US, Basit said, “I do not know about that but it is important that the reconciliation process in Afghanistan moves forward with a view to achieving long-term stability in Afghanistan.” Answering a question on Pakistan’s participation in a conference on Afghanistan scheduled to be held in Tokyo in July 2012, he said, “Japan’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan was here last week. He called on the foreign minister. Tokyo conference on Afghanistan also came under discussion. We are still waiting for details from Tokyo about this conference. We wish the conference well to achieve its objectives. There is no decision yet about the level of participation from Pakistan.” Asked whether the proposed visit of the foreign minister to Kabul indicated a thaw between Afghanistan and Pakistan and whether there was any plan for the foreign minister’s visit to the US, the spokesman said, “We have always wished Afghanistan peace and stability. Pakistan will keep on contributing in this regard.”
“A visit by the foreign minister to Afghanistan is under consideration. No date has yet been finalised. It should be in the near future. There is no visit by the foreign minister to the US reflected in her diary yet,” he said. He said the foreign minister would visit Afghanistan at the invitation of the Afghan side. Basit said that reconciliation in Afghanistan had been our top priority.
We are engaged with the international community and the UNHCR.” On reports that Pakistan was forcing the UNHCR and the Afghan government for an early return of the refugees, he said, “We are insisting on them that they should come up with a tenable and workable plan for early return of the refugees but we are not forcing Afghan refugees to go back. There is an obvious difference between the two things.” To a question on the future of Pakistani nationals in the Bagram prison in Afghanistan, Basit said, “There are 30 Pakistani prisoners at Bagram. Our embassy in Kabul is in touch with the US officials in Kabul. There has been some progress. I would like to underscore that our mission in Kabul is working overtime to ensure the return of our prisoners from Afghanistan.” Responding to another query on Pakistan’s role in bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia closer, Basit said, “We would like to see solidarity being promoted amongst Muslim countries. This has been our stance since the creation of our country and will continue to promote harmony amongst Muslims countries.” When his attention was drawn to a complaint by the Afghan embassy about withholding of 700 Afghan containers by the Pakistani authorities, he said, “You may put this question to the Ministry of Commerce.” On India’s bid to buy a new nuclear submarine from Russia and whether it would not start new arms race in South Asia, he said, “Pakistan-Russia relations are significantly improving. We are trying to expand the scope of relations.” “I think it is important that all countries in the region should be mindful of the fact that arms race is in no one’s interest. This region is suffering from poverty and disease. It is important we focus on economic development. Millions of people are still living below the proverbial poverty line. All countries should make conscious efforts to avoid an arms’ race,” Basit said.