Transit trade facility to India not finalised yet: foreign office

[Naveed Yaseen]

PEER MUHAMMAD
ISLAMABAD (May 08 2009): Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the transit trade with Afghanistan has been signed in Washington not at the dictation of any other country and modalities in this regard would be set after comprehensive negotiation.

In his weekly media briefing at the foreign office, the spokesman said that all the issues related to the transit trade with Afghanistan including providing trade route to India would be discussed by the end of this year and nothing has been finalised yet.

To a question, he said singing of the MoUs is not a new thing. Commenting on the news item regarding provision of information to US about Pakistan's nuclear secrets, the spokesman said Pakistan has not shared any information of its nuclear arsenal with any other country and the story is baseless and on the based of speculation.

To a question, the spokesman said that Swat peace agreement has direct link with maintaining of peace and it would not be applicable without peace in the area. The spokesman said that the security agencies have beefed up the security measures of diplomatic missions in the country after receiving certain intelligence reports.

To a question, he said, Pakistan has taken up Dr Aafia Siddqui's case at highest diplomatic level and asked the US authorities to resolve the issue on the humanitarian ground sooner than later.

To a question about the future of the 10 Pakistani students in UK, the spokesman said that President Zardari would meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on his way back to the country and would ask to not deport the students who are presently in the custody of the border security forces.

Commenting on the present Pakistan-US relations, he said it is a general realisation in the US to boost long run relations between the two countries instead of traditional relations.

The spokesman opined that it would be difficult for Pakistan to take action against the allegedly culprits involved in the Mumbai incident without providing complete information by India. To a question, the spokesman maintained that any country including US would be welcomed if they play positive role in resolving the Kashmir issue.

Commenting on the Afghanistan's allegation about spillover affect of the insurgency in Pakistan, he said, both the countries are facing the same problem and should handle the menace jointly without pointing fingers at each other's.

"Pakistan is serious and has concerned as far as the tackling the militancy is concerned and both countries are facing same problems", he added. Commenting on the drone attacks by the US forces within the Pakistani territory, he said, the government and the people of Pakistan have clear stance about these drones as we believe that these are counterproductive and would not yield and result.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=36009