Pakistan Hands Balochistan Meddling Proof to India

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Jilani says dialogue best option to resolve Kashmir, water, terrorism, other issues  Senate body to summon PM over dividing of Foreign Ministry by Aziz, Fatemi

ISLAMABAD - Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani on Saturday said that evidence regarding involvement of India in Balochistan unrest had been presented to New Delhi and it should move ahead for dialogue process rather than indulging in bale game.  Talking to reporters here after attending a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Secretary said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised this issue with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh in their New York meeting.

Pakistan also presented the evidence of foreign hands in Balochistan violence before the relevant forum, he said, without naming the forum. We have provided the evidence to whom it was needed to be provided, he said, adding that this evidence has already been presented before the Senate of Pakistan.

The secretary said Pakistan would continue raising all the issues including Kashmir, water and terrorism with India at all forums. But, he stressed that there was dire need that all issues with India should be resolved through dialogue. There is no option other than dialogue to resolve all issues, he said, adding that Pakistan wanted negotiated settlement of all outstanding issues with India including Kashmir.

He opined the issue of terrorism could not be resolved through blame game and both countries should make efforts to get rid of it. Terrorism is as serious concern for Pakistan as that for India, he said. He urged India to come to negotiating table instead of making hue and cry and levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan. To a question, the foreign secretary said the prime minister would raise the issue of drone attacks during his upcoming meeting with US President Barack Obama and the issue would be raised at all other relevant forums as well. Pakistan considers that drone strikes are against its sovereignty and integrity, and the same sense prevailed within the UN against the drone attacks, he said. He informed UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mon had recently expressed his concern over drone attacks.

Jilani said that Pakistan freed Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to facilitate Afghanistan reconciliation and peace process. He made it clear that Baradar was not handed over to any other country after release. He said that Pakistan would support peace talks between the Afghan government and Afghan Taliban and Islamabad would continue to extend every possible support to Kabul for peace and stability in the region. Responding to another question, he said it was their desire that ties of Pakistan with Bangladesh should improve in future.

Earlier, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Haji Adeel while chairing a meeting of the committee at Parliament House remarked PM Nawaz Sharif would be summoned in the next meeting in his official capacity for holding the charge of Minister for Foreign Affairs. He said foreign ministry had become a tug of war between PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi. Foreign Office has been divided into two parts, one held by Mr Aziz and the other by Mr Fatemi, he said, adding that Pakistan’s foreign missions abroad had become inactive due to the same reason. He questioned why PM did not attend the committee meetings in his capacity as foreign minister as well as defence minister. He also said that FO could not get instructions from PM due to his unavailability.