The restoration of NATO supplies to Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan as well the US and there has been some progress in talks with the US on this important matter, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, Jilani said the restoration of NATO supplies was necessary for pulling out foreign forces from Afghanistan, which was in the interest of Pakistan as well. He hoped that foreign forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan would lead to stability in the country and would augur well for the regional peace and stability. Pakistan, he said, was engaged in talks with the US on tendering a public apology over the Salala incident and there had been some positive indications from Washington in that regard. To a question on recent cross border attacks from Afghanistan on Pakistani checkposts, Jilani said Pakistan had serious concern over the safe havens of terrorists across the border in Afghanistan and it had taken up the matter with the Afghan authorities. He said, “We hope that the Afghan government will take all necessary measures to prevent militant attacks on Pakistani border posts.” To a query, he said he would leave for New Delhi for the foreign secretaries’ talks on various outstanding issues with India on July 3 and during the meeting, he would also raise the vital issue of surge in cross Line of Control (LoC) firing incidents from the Indian side on Pakistani soil. He said the visit of Indian foreign minister to Islamabad was scheduled for July 18, but it had been put off due to some internal political developments in India. On the Foreign Office briefing to the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday, he said the prime minister was briefed on Pakistan’s relations with regional and other nations. “The prime minister was given a detailed briefing on various aspects of the foreign policy,” he said.
