Use of force against Iran must be avoided: Pakistan
By Maria A Khan - Pakistan Times Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Hours after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed ultraconservative Ali Larijani as the country’s new chief nuclear negotiator, Pakistan backed on Monday Iran’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

“Teheran has the legitimate right as signatory to the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to use the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Naeem Khan told reporters in Islamabad.

President Ahmadinejad appointed Monday Ali Larijani as head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to take “correct decisions which secure both the interests and legal rights of the nation”.

Of Mediation

Khan ruled out any mediation between Iran and the European Union (E.U) to resolve the continued stand-off over Teheran’s nuclear programme, saying one of the two parties would have to formally approach Islamabad to that end.

Khan said that use of force against Iran must be avoided to ensure regional stability, adding “We cannot afford another conflict or a war in the region.”

Indian PM's allegations Rejected

Meanwhile, Pakistan has proposed a schedule to India for talks on Kishan Ganga Hydel project, sources informed on Monday.

According to foreign office, the dates on which Pakistan is ready to enter into bilateral talks on the project are from August 29 to September 3, 2005.

Foreign Minister Spokesman, Naeem Khan, while addressing a weekly press conference here today rejected Indian Prime Minister’s statement as baseless and said denied any terrorism infra-structure existed within Pakistan.

Earlier, he told as to India had proposed dates for the talks as August 4 to August 8 or August 11 to August 18 of this year.

The spokesman said that Pakistan has readied a memorandum on its stand over Baghliar dam after the visit of project’s site. And the memorandum would put forward to unbiased experts appointed by the World Bank.

While answering a question, Khan said: “Kashmiri people are man party of talks over Kashmir issue and without their participation the issue can not be resolved.”

When asked about recently tested Cruise missile by Pakistan, he said that with India’s testing of Brahmos missile the region was an nuclear and missile technology imbalance.

However, the Cruise missile test would help regain nuclear balance in the region, he added.

Talking about free trade among SAARC countries, Naeem Khan said that there were some hurdles in establishing SAFTA agreement which would be reviewed a meeting to be held shortly amongst the member countries.●