Palestinian President Abbas to visit Pakistan on Saturday

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Pakistan on Saturday for bilateral talks, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Moazzam Ahmed Khan, said the Palestinian leader,  who will be paying visit on the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari, will hold talks with the Pakistani leadership on matters of mutual interest.

The spokesman said Pakistan played an instrumental role in getting the Palestinians observer status in the United Nations and UNICEF.

He said Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with Palestinian Authority and has always supported their right to self-determination and a two-state solution.

On a question on reported North Korea’s nuclear test, the Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan does recognize every country’s right to enhance its security but there are some obligations at international level that countries have to fulfill.

He said Pakistan has always supported a Nuclear Free Korean Peninsula and endorses six party talks to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis. He said Pakistan understands that North Korean decision to hold nuclear test contravenes the international obligations.

About Indian reservations on handing over Gawadar Port in southwestern Balochistan province to China, he said this is a bilateral agreement between Pakistan and China and no country should have any objection on it.

Moazzam Ahmed Khan told a questioner that Pakistan has released fifty eight Taliban from its jails so far.

Regarding a question about the conference of religious clerics of Pakistan and Afghanistan in Kabul in March, he said Pakistani government initiated and supported the idea but “we are not trying to determine the agenda of it”.

He said Pakistan hopes that religious leaders from both sides will overcome their differences soon. He said the Conference might be held on first or second week of next month.

The spokesman said peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and Pakistan always believes in Afghan led and Afghan administered peace process.

To a question about the announcement by the U.S. President Barrack Obama in his State of the Union address to pull out 34000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, he said Pakistan hopes this withdrawal will be in a responsible manner.

Replying to another questioner the Foreign Office spokesman said there is no change in Pakistan’s policy towards Kashmir.

He said Pakistan considers Kashmir a disputed territory and provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle against Indian occupation. He said peace and stability is the in the interest of both countries and dialogue is the only way in resolving problems between the two countries.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Feb 14 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.