Pakistan asks Afghanistan to hand over Maulvi Faqir
22 February, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Thursday demanded Kabul to hand over all Taliban terrorists including Maulvi Faqir Muhammad who have been engaged in anti-state activities in Pakistan. Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan told a weekly press briefing that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar talked to her Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rassoul last night on telephone. He said Afghan foreign minister has confirmed capture of Maulvi Faqir. He said Pakistan hopes that Afghan government will arrest all those involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan and hand over them to Islamabad. The spokesman said Pakistan fully supports Afghan-led reconciliation process and is committed to any dialogue process to bring peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan. He said Islamabad will continue its cooperation with any reconciliation process in Afghanistan. However, he cautioned that the peace process should be transparent and Afghan soil should not be used against Pakistan. He said the US and Pakistan are working on a strategy to ensure safe passage to ISAF forces during their pullout from Afghanistan during 2013 and 2014. To a question about statement by India that it has a 106-kilometre long border with Afghanistan, the spokesman termed the claim as 'laughable'. He said India has no legal or geographical ground to give such a statement. On the issue of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, the spokesman said the project would go ahead despite US reservations. He said US has reservations on the project because it has slapped unilateral sanctions against Iran. He said Pakistan is facing severe energy shortage and cannot afford abandoning the project. To a question that some countries have reservations over handing over Gwadar Port to China, the spokesman said Pakistan has every right to take its decisions in the supreme national interest. He said the decision to hand over operation of port to China is purely on economic and commercial grounds and no country can object to this agreement. He hoped that the Chinese company will capably run the port and will carry out the originally planned development work. He said Pakistan and China enjoy excellent relations and have convergence of strategic interests in the region. The spokesman confirmed that Pakistan has formally written a letter to the United Arabs Emirates government to arrest and deport Tauqeer Sadiq. He said the UAE government has given a positive response to the letter. To a question about inviting foreign observers for monitoring of electoral process in Pakistan, the spokesman said it does not come under the domain of the Foreign Office. The caretaker government will decide on it, he added. To a question about drone attacks, the spokesman said Pakistan considers drone strikes illegal and violation of its sovereignty and integrity. He said Pakistan has raised this issue at all the meetings with US and has conveyed to the Washington that these attacks are counter-productive. He hoped that both countries will be able to resolve the issue bilaterally. End.
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