Rejecting the criticism on Dr Shakeel Afridi’s sentence in high treason case, Pakistan on Thursday urged the US to respect its courts and the legal system.
“It is our internal matter and Dr Shakeel Afridi would be treated under the law of the land,” said Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan while addressing the weekly press briefing. On Wednesday, a local court of political administration of Khyber Agency had sentenced Afridi for 30 years in prison for spying for the US secret agency, CIA which had led to US raid on Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad. Khan maintained that Pakistan had participated in Chicago summit without any expectation and that Afghanistan was the only reason for Pakistan to participate in the mega gathering.
“Pakistan wanted to see a stable Afghanistan and that the stability of Pakistan is linked with the stability of Afghanistan,” the spokesman said. To a question regarding Pak-US ties, Khan said the process of dialogue was still on between the two countries. “Matters related to NATO supply, drone attacks are under discussion with the US,” he added.
He said the US was very important for Pakistan and both countries wanted normal relations. Talking about drone attacks, Khan said they were unacceptable, unlawful and against the sovereignty of the country. “Pakistan wants to solve the matter of drones with the US through negotiation rather to move UN security counsel or International Court of Justice,” Khan added. To the allegation of the US senators who accused Pakistan of getting extortion in the name of NATO containers tax, the Foreign Office clarified that it was the stance of the US senator not the US government. The spokesmen said the interior secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan were underway in Islamabad and that the dialogue process was very important for both countries. Pakistan will provide full opportunity to India to present her point of view in this talk,” he said.
Pakistan urges US to respect its legal system, courts
