ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Pakistan will highlight issues of Kashmir, Indian interference and threat to strategic balance in South Asia during Prime Minister’s forthcoming visit to attend the UN General Assembly Session and the United States.
Briefing Senate about the issues to be raised during the Prime Minister visits, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan will highlight the Kashmir issue at the United Nations and other fora as bilateralism envisaged in Shimla Agreement failed to achieve any progress.
He said for the first time Pakistan has prepared a formal dossier regarding Indian interference in the country which would be taken to the United Nations for presentation. He said India accuses non-state actors of Pakistan but here it is an issue of state actors interfering in Pakistan.
The adviser said Pakistan would not ask India for any meeting during Prime Minister’s visit to the United Nations as it was New Delhi which cancelled talks between national security advisers of the two countries.
He said it is for India to initiate the process.
Sartaj Aziz, however, made it clear that whenever the dialogue resumes, the two countries will discuss all issues including core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said there can be talks on all issues and no isolated issue would be taken up as per wishes of India. Similarly, he said, Pakistan has conveyed to India that it will not entertain Indian objections to meetings with Kashmiri leaders as Kashmiris are stakeholders in the dispute.
Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan has also conveyed to the United States that it should keep in view conventional and non-conventional imbalance in South Asia while entering into any sought of defence cooperation with India.
The Adviser said Pakistan’s cooperation with China is development-oriented and India has no business to object to it. He said Pakistan is fully capable to safeguard its interests and sovereignty.
Responding to points raised by some members, Sataj Aziz said during recent meeting between the director general of Rangers and Border Security Force head, the two sides agreed to check ceasefire violations on the Working Boundary.
However, now India is resorting to violations on the Line of Control. He said India is using the pretext of infiltration for its cross LoC firing.
India was told during meeting that how come infiltration can take place when Indians have erected a wall with barbed wire and in the presence of elaborate lighting.
He said the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly is very significant as UNGA is celebrating 70th anniversary and about 150 heads of state or government would be attending the session.
The United Nations would also be discussing Sustainable Development Goals. He said Pakistan would effectively present its case on SDGs as preparations are afoot to turn these SDGs into national goals.
The Adviser said the Prime Minister will co-host along with some other leaders UN Peacekeeping Summit as Pakistan is one of the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations.
The Prime Minister will also attend a roundtable on South-South Cooperation being hosted by the Chinese President.
The Adviser on National Security said Pakistan has carried out a non-discriminate operation in Waziristan destroying infrastructure of all militant organizations.
He said Pakistan would continue to facilitate intra-Afghan dialogue.
Sartaj Aziz dispelled the impression that there is any reduction in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to recent developments in bilateral relations.
He said in fact Afghan Finance Minister is coming to Pakistan in November to review implementation of Transit Trade Agreement.
Presenting a report in the House, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said the accident of special military train on the 2nd of July this year took place due to over-speeding.
He said recommendations of Joint Inquiry Committee are being implemented and standard operating procedures have been changed to avoid such accidents in future.
He said there are seventeen thousand vacancies in Railways, and presently 1470 are being inducted through NTS.
