ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that Pakistan had dispatched an aid convoy for the Afghan people; however, authorities in Afghanistan were not ready to receive it.
Briefing the media, the spokesperson said official channels for engagement with Afghanistan remained in place, adding that talks could have been possible had Afghan representatives attended the recent meeting in Tehran.
The spokesperson described the prime minister’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as positive and rejected reports of any delay in the engagement, saying Indian news agencies spread such claims as part of a hateful propaganda campaign against Pakistan’s leadership. He added that the Indian outlets later deleted their related posts.
Pakistan seeks clarification from India over abrupt variation in Chenab water flows: FO
Commenting on regional issues, the spokesperson slammed India for using water as a weapon and expressed serious reservations over private investment in India’s nuclear sector, citing its past nuclear record and incidents of nuclear material theft as a cause for concern.
FO refutes Reuters reports of CDF visit to US
The FO also denied a Reuters report regarding an alleged visit of Pakistan’s chief of defence forces to the United States, saying there was no authentic information about such a visit.
On Gaza, the spokesperson said no independent decision had been taken to send Pakistani troops or to join any ISAF-related force, adding that consultations were ongoing in world capitals. He reiterated that Palestine remained a central issue for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Islamic world and the UN Security Council.
The spokesperson also rejected what he termed false reporting by The Jerusalem Post regarding the Bondi Beach incident, alleging that India’s intelligence agency RAW was operating in an organised manner in different parts of the world. He said Australian authorities would investigate the possible involvement of RAW in the incident.
On defence ties, the FO said defence cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was continuing, including under a mutual defence agreement.
The spokesperson further said that hindering the SAARC process was condemnable and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the promotion of regional ties, connectivity and cooperation.
