Boucher's Pakistan Visit Not for Mediation between Govt, Political Party: FO
By Maria Khan 'Pakistan Times' Diplomatic Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Monday said the upcoming visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher to Pakistan was on regular basis and did not meant on mediating between the government and a political party.

"This is a normal, regular, periodic visit in which the two sides will review bilateral relations," Foreign Office spokesperson Ms Tasnim Aslam told the weekly media briefing in response to a report saying that Boucher's visit carried some motives to play a role in Pakistan's political scene.

The spokesperson termed the media report "absolutely baseless" saying that Boucher's visit aimed at mediating a deal between the government and Pakistan People's Party.

Ms Aslam said any outside meeting between Boucher and the representatives of any political party if ever held, was not supposed to be arranged by the Foreign Office but by the US embassy.

When asked about President Pervez Musharraf's recent statement on Pakistan's willingness for the withdrawal of forces from the Line of Control, the spokesperson said it was in context of resolving Kashmir dispute under the President's four-point proposals of identifying regions, demilitarization, self governance and joint management.

She however categorically stated that "there will be no unilateral demilitarization."

The spokesperson said Pakistan was supportive of the objectives of Global Initiative on Nuclear Terrorism, but since it was not the member of NPT, the initiative would not cover the military nuclear facilities.

She said Pakistan was against nuclear proliferation, and would formally join the Initiative in few days in a meeting to be held at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

On a statement by European Union about the alleged curb on press freedom in Pakistan, Ms Aslam termed the issue as "essentially domestic", adding the government and media were engaged in a dialogue.

"If the government has any reservations about media, we do not need an outsider to come and tell us."

To a question about the relatives of Indian Prisoners of War (PoWs) visiting Pakistani jails and now demanding the government to allow them to visit the alleged "military detentions", the spokesperson said, "we have done maximum what we can do."

She said facilitating the Indians' visit was an unprecedented humanitarian gesture on part of Pakistan, adding "we have not seen same level of gesture on the other side."

She pointed the need for similar humanitarian move for about 500 civilian prisoners languishing in Indian jails in pathetic conditions, as majority of them were over-staying after completion of their terms.

About a Canadian national woman who died in mysterious circumstances in Islamabad, the spokesperson said the Canadian High Commission had contacted officials in Islamabad to know about the circumstances of her death, while the investigation was underway.

Details

Foreign Office on Monday said the upcoming visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher to Pakistan was on regular basis and did not meant on mediating between the government and a political party.

"This is a normal, regular, periodic visit in which the two sides will review bilateral relations," Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the weekly media briefing in response to a report saying that Boucher's visit carried some motives to play a role in Pakistan's political scene.

The spokesperson termed the media report "absolutely baseless" saying that Boucher's visit aimed at mediating a deal between the government and Pakistan People's Party.

Ms Aslam said any outside meeting between Boucher and the representatives of any political party if ever held, was not supposed to be arranged by the Foreign Office but by the US embassy.

When asked about President Pervez Musharraf's recent statement on Pakistan's willingness for the withdrawal of forces from the Line of Control, the spokesperson said it was in context of resolving Kashmir dispute under the President's four-point proposals of identifying regions, demilitarization, self governance and joint management.

She however categorically stated, "There will be no unilateral demilitarization." The spokesperson said Pakistan was supportive of the objectives of Global Initiative on Nuclear Terrorism, but since it was not the member of NPT, the initiative would not cover the military nuclear facilities.

She said Pakistan was against nuclear proliferation, and would formally join the Initiative in few days in a meeting to be held at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

On a statement by European Union about the alleged curb on press freedom in Pakistan, Ms Aslam termed the issue as "essentially domestic", adding the government and media were engaged in a dialogue.

"If the government has any reservations about media, we do not need an outsider to come and tell us."

To a question about the relatives of Indian Prisoners of War (PoWs) visiting Pakistani jails and now demanding the government to allow them to visit the alleged "military detentions", the spokesperson said, "we have done maximum what we can do."

She said facilitating the Indians' visit was an unprecedented humanitarian gesture on part of Pakistan, adding "we have not seen same level of gesture on the other side."

She pointed the need for similar humanitarian move for about 500 civilian prisoners languishing in Indian jails in pathetic conditions, as majority of them were over-staying after completion of their terms.

About a Canadian national woman who died in mysterious circumstances in Islamabad, the spokesperson said the Canadian High Commission had contacted officials in Islamabad to know about the circumstances of her death, while the investigation was underway.●