Spokesperson Briefings

Date: 09/04/2007

Transcript of Press Briefing on 9 April 2007

Opening Statement

Russian Prime Minister Visit to Pakistan

The Russian Prime Minister Mikhail E. Fradkov will visit Pakistan from 11 to 13 April 2007 . He is the first Prime Minister of the Russian Federation to visit Pakistan . Earlier Premier Alexey Kosygin visited Pakistan in May 1969 .

President Pervez Musharraf visited the Russian Federation in February 2003. Prime Minister Fradkov and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have met on two previous occasions during the Shanghai Cooperation Summits in October 2005 in Moscow and September 2006 in Dushanbe .

The Russian Prime Minister will hold in-depth discussions with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He will also call on the President and address a gathering of businessmen.

The major focus of the visit would be on bilateral relations with particular emphasis on ways and means to enhance economic cooperation.

The two countries are committed to establish a strong relationship based on solid foundations. There are a number of opportunities for Russian participation in various projects in Pakistan . The emphasis during the visit would be on establishing a substantive economic agenda to the mutual benefit of both countries.

Question/Answer Session

Asked to elaborate on the Pakistan-India talks on Siachen which some regarded as successful while others considered a failure , the Spokesperson said : 

I am not going to categorize them one way or the other. The press statement issued by the Ministry at the end of the talks explains the current status. There are eminently reasonable proposals on the table from the Pakistani side. However for progress we need political will.

Asked about the agenda of the Prime Minister visit to China , the Spokesperson said:

Yes the visit is taking place. The visit will be announced simultaneously in Beijing and Islamabad in due course.

Asked if Pakistan was disappointed by the outcome of the talks on Siachen and whether one could infer that, that was so because political will was lacking, the Spokesperson said:

I am not going to get into that discussion. I am not going to give a judgment here but as I said we have made a number of reasonable proposals and we expect there would be some forward movement. I am not saying that we lack political will but this is what is required for the resolution of this issue.

When asked to share information regarding the specific role played by Pakistan contributing to the release of the British sailors by the Iranians since none of the parties had acknowledged it and also to comment on follow up action in the wake of the Prime Minister announcement in Delhi for pursuing the IPI pipeline, the Spokesperson said:

If nobody has acknowledged that Pakistan has played a role in the release of the British sailors it means we did not have a role. We are very happy that the issue has been resolved amicably through negotiations.

Regarding the IPI you would be aware of there has been reiteration of the commitment by all parties to the project. I understand some technical aspects related to formation of the consortium and other such matters are being discussed at the moment. We remain committed to this project. We have our energy needs which are becoming increasingly acute with every passing day and there is no reason why we shouldn't proceed with it.

Asked for comments on the usual mudslinging against Pakistan which the Afghan President made before leaving for the SAARC Summit and whether the Pakistani Prime Minister who had a 90 minute one on one meeting with President Karzai in Delhi was successful in appeasing him, the Spokesperson said:

I don't think the purpose of the meeting was to appease Mr. Karzai. As we have been saying repeatedly good relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are in the interest of both countries. As far as the statements from time to time are concerned, I don't think they deserve a response.

Asked to elaborate on whether Pakistan is dealing with India as friendly state or as an enemy state occupying territory in Siachen and Kashmir , the Spokesperson said:

Pakistan and India are neighbours. That is a fact, a fact of geography, a fact of history and it's in the interest of both countries to work towards normalization of relations, to economically develop this region for the benefit of the peoples of South Asia . We believe that for that to happen we need to address the problems and issues which divide us and which have created tension in the region for the last 60 years. Currently we are engaged in a peace process for the resolution of these issues.

Asked to comment on discussions last week between the Attorney General of UK and the Prime Minister of Pakistan about mutual release of prisoners and the status of extradition treaty, the Spokesperson said:

We don't have an extradition treaty with UK . A draft is under consideration but there are still some issues to be resolved before the treaty can be signed. In its absence there is no mechanism for extradition. We have some framework for cooperation and assistance in criminal matters but there is no such thing as exchange of prisoners.

Asked about speculations by unnamed diplomat in Islamabad that the British Attorney General had asked for the extradition of Rashid Rauf and whether Pakistan has, in return, asked for the extradition of six Baloch insurgents, the Spokesperson said:

It's highly irresponsible for any one diplomat to indulge in such speculations. There is no truth in these claims.

Asked if any further dates had been decided for holding talks on Siachen, the Spokesperson said:

There are no specific dates yet. The two sides have decided to stay in touch and continue the discussions.

Asked if there was any fencing going on at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and also about the result of the Canadian team visit which had come with proposals for alternatives to mining the border, the Spokesperson said:

You will have to check with the MO Directorate or Director General ISPR about fencing. The Canadian team came here. Their proposals would be considered.

Asked for confirmation about speculations that Government of Pakistan had approached the OIC for resolving the Jamia Hafsa issue and whether Pakistan had received any communication from any country on this issue, the Spokesperson said:

This is absurd. Why we would ask the OIC to intervene. This is an internal law and order matter. No, there have been no comments from any capital. We do not expect any comments.

When asked about the procedure for withdrawing a red notice against an accused person, the Spokesperson said:

You may like to ask the Ministry of Interior or FIA about the procedure. The Foreign Office does not issue a red notice.

Asked if there was any progress in the meeting between the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India , on the issue of prisoners and the committee of judges formed to deal with the issue, the Spokesperson said:

We discussed this at the last meeting two weeks earlier. The committee was formed at our initiative. We nominated judges from our side and forwarded their names to India . Subsequently, we received names from the Indian side as well. We are ready to put into action the committee as soon as India is ready. The release of prisoners who have completed their sentence is a priority for us and we continuously flag this point in the meetings with the Indian side.

Asked if the Indian Prime Minister in his meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had indicated when he would visit Pakistan and if he linked that visit with progress on Siachen and what would be Pakistan 's reaction if there was such a precondition, the Spokesperson said:

The Indian Prime Minister has accepted the invitation. There was no mention of making progress on Siachen a precondition for the visit. In any case it is not up to Pakistan alone to resolve the Siachen issue.

Asked about the report on Kashmir which the EU Committee had passed with a majority and which rejected Pakistan position on holding a plebiscite, the Spokesperson said:

The situation is unchanged. The report still has to go to the European Parliament. We hope that the European Parliament which claims to be a champion of human rights will remove these anomalies and make it more balanced to reflect the aspirations of the Kashmiri people sanctified in the UN Security Council resolutions and promised by the international community.