Transcript Question & Answers: Press Briefing
Before I start I may wish you a very happy Pakistan Day tomorrow.
About our President’s upcoming visit to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, On the invitation of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Emomali Rahmon, the President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, will visit Dushanbe to attend Navruz celebrations on 25 March 2012.
The visit will also provide an opportunity for a meeting between the Presidents of Pakistan and Tajikistan to review excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. The leaders will provide guidance on the measures to further enhance bilateral political, economic, defence and security relations. They will also reflect on development of rail and road infrastructure and air connectivity between the two countries. Development of infrastructure is essential for regional economic integration.
The President will also have meetings with other leaders attending the Navruz celebrations including a quadrilateral meeting between Presidents of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
Pakistan attaches great importance to Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) process. The President will make a policy statement in the inaugural session of RECCA-\V on 26 March 2012.
Question
Now that the new terms of engagement with the US have been tabled in the parliament so what is next once this process is completed?
Answer
Depending on what the final recommendations and the policy guidelines of the joint parliamentary session are, we will then proceed accordingly but obviously if we were to revisit some of the agreements which were concluded in 2002, we will have to engage with the US intensively. For now, we are all waiting for the parliamentary process to complete.
Question
In the Bangladeshi press it has been reported that former DG ISI, General Asad Durrani, provided money to the Bangladeshi government back in 1991. Your comments please.
Answer
Let me say that these news reports are totally baseless. These are not only baseless but also part of mischievous efforts to damage the brotherly and mutually beneficial Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship. Pakistan strictly adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of other countries and that it would be ill-advised to give credence to such false, misleading and self-serving stories.
Question
There are reports that some French are being trained by the Taliban in North Waziristan. Have the French raised this issue with Pakistan? Do you deny these reports?
Answer
Yes, I deny these reports.
Question
As a policy statement, Pakistan always condemns drone attacks inside Pakistan. After the parliamentary process what would be the policy on this issue?
Answer
The Parliamentary process is not yet complete. So, let us wait.
Question
You had made a meaningful reference recently to a role of the Taliban and their resistance to the foreign occupation and you differentiated in a very clear manner that there is a difference between a campaign against Al Qaida and a campaign against the Taliban. Have we reached a point where we see the Taliban as the next major stakeholder in Afghanistan?
Answer
Pakistan’s position was made very clear by the Prime Minister himself in his statement on 24 February urging all parties, including the Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami to join the reconciliation process. Our position is very clear. We do not support any specific group. What we support are the efforts which lead to genuine reconciliation in Afghanistan and ensure peace and stability there.
Question
I would like to refer it to your previous statement about the diplomatic efforts being made by Pakistan about those separatist Baloch elements living in some of the European countries like Switzerland, UK. What is the outcome of our diplomatic efforts? Is there any assurance from those countries?
Answer
As I have told you earlier we had made demarches with certain countries and that we had been assured that they would not allow their respective territories to be used for anti-Pakistan activities.
Question
The Parliamentary Committee has recommended that all the agreements with the NATO and the US should be written. So have we found out that the previous understanding and agreements for the logistic support and usage of air corridors were oral and not written?
Answer
If you read the parliamentary committee’s recommendations carefully, you would see that they referred to two written documents. One has already lapsed in February this year which was about Acquisition and Cross-servicing Agreement with the US. The other was an MOU signed on 19 June 2002 with the ISAF, with the UK, then the lead nation. That MOU is still valid. The parliament committee has recommended that these written agreements should be revisited, if need be, and appropriate provisions are incorporated to preserve Pakistan’s interest. The Committee has clearly recommended that no verbal commitments be made, and everything should be reduced to paper. I think once parliamentary process is complete, we will definitely proceed in accordance with the policy guidelines. We do not see any reason as to why the Government of Pakistan should be giving any verbal commitment on any issue because this whole process is aimed at bringing about transparency and predictability in our relations with the US and NATO. The Government will strictly abide by parliamentary policy guidelines.
Question
Ambassador Sherry Rehman has stated that Pakistan is being changed. So, what do you think what sort of change it is.
Answer
Yes, Pakistan is changing for the better. The fact that for the first time the executive conceded its role to parliament to prepare foreign policy guidelines in itself is a significant change in terms of strengthening our democratic institutions. And then changes are taking place in all areas of life. You see our civilian institutions, you see our civil society, you see our judiciary, media itself, so you name anything, Pakistan is really moving forward with confidence.
Question
Is there any verbal agreement between Pakistan and the US on the drone attacks? Second question is about Pakistan’s position on the controversial North Korean nuclear programme and the third is about the Pakistan judicial commission’s visit to India. Is Pakistan satisfied with the course of proceedings?
Answer
On your first question, our position on drone attacks is very clear. We consider these as illegal, unacceptable and counter-productive. And there is no verbal agreement between Pakistan and the US on this. On North Korea, Pakistan supports six-party talks to create a nuclear weapons free Korean peninsula and it is important that, in the meanwhile, the parties concerned should refrain from any statements or steps that may be unhelpful in the process. On your third question, the judicial commission has returned from India after visiting there from 14 to 21 of this month. It is a legal issue, hence not for me to comment.
Question
I would like to have your comments on the 32 Indian consulates working in Afghanistan and their role to destabilize the situation in Balochistan?
Answer
Your information about the number of Indian consulates in Afghanistan is incorrect. There is definitely foreign interference in Balochistan, and we are not oblivious to external interference.
Question
Have Saudi Arabia and Yemen approached Pakistan with regard to the charges against the family of Osma bin Laden?
Answer
Not to my knowledge.
Question
Your clarification concerning the drone attacks as we know the US position on the issue. Do we see it would affect normalization of relations between Pakistan and the US as this matter directly impinges on the sovereignty of Pakistan?
Answer
I cannot agree more with you since it is an issue that involves our sovereignty. So, we cannot really agree or accept drone strikes inside Pakistan under any circumstances. We have made our position very clear on that. I do not see why should this issue affect the normalization of Pak-US relations because Pakistan has shown in the past that we can deal with terrorists through our own resources. Pakistan has killed and arrested over 700 Al Qaeda operatives so there is no question about our capacity. We are very confident. We can deal with it through our own national resources provided there is sharing of real time intelligence. Pakistan will not agree to any action that violates its sovereignty.
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