No drone strike during peace talks: Aziz

Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday disclosed that the US administration has assured the government that no drone strikes would be carried out during peace talks.
Giving a briefing during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Aziz said that talks between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were about to start prior to the killing of TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike.
He disclosed that a three-member delegation was likely to meet the slain TTP chief.
“A team of government negotiators was prepared to hold talks with Hakimullah Mehsud on November 2, the day after he was killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan,” he added.
He said that Mehsud was in contact with the government prior to his assassination.
The adviser was of the view that the US has promised that it would not carry out drone strikes in Pakistan during peace talks.
Aziz also said the issue was raised before the US president, to which Obama said that Mehsud was at the top of the US list.
The PML-N leader told reporters that the US officials told the visiting Pakistani delegation that about 60-70 percent targets have been achieved in drone attacks, adding that these strikes would be halted after achieving more goals.
To a question, he said that Dr Shakil Afridi’s issue was not raised by the Pakistani delegation, but a working group of US congressmen raised the issue with Nawaz Sharif.
“However, the prime minister informed them that the matter was sub judice and the court would decide it,” he added.
Aziz feared that the situation would deeply affect Pakistan if clashes broke out in post-US Afghanistan in 2014.
“Because of war, the Afghan refugees would enter Pakistan and our land would be flooded by them once again, causing pressure on our economy,” he added.
Aziz said that the next round of strategic dialogues between Islamabad and Washington would take place in March 2014.
“The working groups from both sides are working in this connection and would hold sittings before the talks,” Aziz said.
Aziz termed the PM’s recent visits successful and said that Thai and Chinese businessmen termed Pakistan a great place for investment.
“During the visit of the prime minister to the United States, the economy and means for its improvement were discussed,” Aziz said, adding that now the ways to multiply the trade volume between US and Pakistan would be reviewed.
He informed the reporters that a US company disclosed that there were plenty of untapped gas reserves in Pakistan.
To a question, the PML-N leader said the company had already completed its survey and would share a report with Pakistani authorities, adding that soon a delegation would visit Pakistan.