No proposal under consideration to open Taliban office in Pakistan: FO

The Foreign Office on Thursday said that no proposal is under consideration for opening the office of Taliban in Pakistan.
Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry in his weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday said there was no proposal under consideration to open Taliban office in Pakistan for dialogue with the United States; however‚ Pakistan was facilitating Afghan reconciliation process.
To a question‚ the spokesman said Pakistan intended to facilitate withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan as it wanted a smooth process in this regard.
Chaudhry said that Pakistan was bound under international obligations to assist in withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan was against drone strikes because they were counterproductive. He said Pakistan had raised the issue at all international forums, including the United Nations, adding that Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz also raised the issue with the US special envoy during his recent visit to Islamabad.
The spokesman said the United States has suspended NATO supplies through Torkham to protect lives of the container drivers.
He said that the United States was using other routes following sit-ins by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to block NATO supplies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Chaudhry said that supplies may resume through KP once situation normalises.
He said Pakistan wanted to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir with India through dialogue. He said Pakistan’s stand on the Kashmir issue was clear. He said the Siachen issue could also be resolved through dialogue.