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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan not bound to accept strings attached to aid: FO |
| 2009-10-09 |
| [Dawn] The Foreign Office on Thursday again made it clear that Pakistan was not bound by any force to accept all the conditions laid down in the Kerry-Lugar bill and argued that the formal decision on the aid bill will be made in the National Assembly. The government is not bound to accept the strings attached to the Kerry-Lugar bill and the National Assembly which is the supreme authority is empowered to take any decision on the thorny matter as was stated by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday, said Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit in his weekly press briefing at the Foreign Office on Thursday. The spokesman said that the premier had taken a clear-cut stance in his speech in the National Assembly that Pakistan was not bound by any force to accept all the conditions laid down in the Kerry-Lugar bill. Foreign Minister Qureshi will give a policy statement in the National Assembly as part of the debate on the controversial aid bill, said Basit. In reply to another question, Basit said that US President Barrack Obama had delayed the signing of the Kerry-Lugar bill. The spokesman again made it clear that Pakistan was not involved in an arms race and that the country is a firm supporter of non-proliferation but due to security concerns the country believes in minimum deterrence. Pakistan will not unilaterally sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he emphasized. Basit also said that Pakistan condemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in Kabul on Thursday. Pakistan condemns terrorism and extremism of any kind, he held. The FO spokesman said that a protest had been recorded with the Dutch Ambassador after the recovery of arms from Dutch consulates. Basit said the government had directed all consulates/embassies that diplomats were not allowed to exhibit any kind of arms. In response to another question, Basit added that the Foreign Office had not given any kind of permission to the US embassy for the open exhibition of weapons. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 we agree, don't take the aid |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-10-09 18:12 |
| #1 Everybody, but USG, knows that Yousuf. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-10-09 05:18 |