Waheed Mahmood
Our foreign policy based on national interests: FO
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday announced to strongly defend the law suit filed against country’s elite intelligence agency to seek its dismissal.
A statement from the Foreign Office said, “Government of Pakistan has taken a firm decision to strongly contest the suit filed against the ISI, its present and past Directors General.”
A US court had issued summons to senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials including its head Major General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, in response to a lawsuit filed by relatives of two American victims accusing him and some others of providing material support for the Nov 11 Mumbai attacks.
“The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Embassy in Washington shall defend the legal suit on behalf of ISI and its Directors General fully and properly,” the FO statement said.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani last week categorically told the National Assembly; “We do not believe the ISI, as an agency of the Government of Pakistan, or its present and former officials could be subjected to civil litigation in the courts of the United States and we intend to take appropriate steps to obtain dismissal of this action.”
A statement from the Foreign Office said, “Government of Pakistan has taken a firm decision to strongly contest the suit filed against the ISI, its present and past Directors General.”
A US court had issued summons to senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials including its head Major General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, in response to a lawsuit filed by relatives of two American victims accusing him and some others of providing material support for the Nov 11 Mumbai attacks.
“The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Embassy in Washington shall defend the legal suit on behalf of ISI and its Directors General fully and properly,” the FO statement said.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani last week categorically told the National Assembly; “We do not believe the ISI, as an agency of the Government of Pakistan, or its present and former officials could be subjected to civil litigation in the courts of the United States and we intend to take appropriate steps to obtain dismissal of this action.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesman addressing a weekly press briefing said that Pakistan has pursued foreign policy based on national interests and under the guidance of the country’s leadership with diligence, honour and dignity to promote bilateral relations with all the regional and other countries during 2010.
Spokesman Abdul Basit said,” The year 2010 has been a very busy year for Foreign Office. We have been able to inject more vigour and substance into our efforts towards pursuing our broad foreign policy objectives of peace and development.”
The spokesman said that Pakistan’s foreign policy continued to be driven by its national interests and guided by the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
He said the year 2010 was ending on a high note as the visit to Pakistan by the Chinese Premier this month reaffirmed the all-weather friendship between the two countries.
“The visit amply demonstrated that relations between the two countries have been evolved from bilateral to regional and global planes,” he added.
The spokesman said, “We are proud of this unique relationship and confident that our ties with China will continue to achieve ever new heights in the times to come.”
“We have also been able to sustain the momentum in expanding our ties with the United States (US) on the basis of mutual respect, trust and interest. The third round of the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue held in Washington in October helped push the process forward,” he added.
The spokesman said, “We are looking forward to an official visit by our President Asif Ali Zardari to the United States in the first half of next year and President Barack Obama’s visit to Pakistan in the second half of 2011.”
He said, “Our relations with the European Union have also moved forward with the second Pakistan-EU Summit in Brussels in June which from our side was led by the Prime Minister.” The European Union, he said, following the unprecedented floods in Pakistan, approved trade concessions to provide greater market access to 74 tariff lines and the matter now rested with the World Trade Organization. The spokesman said that the European Union (EU) also hosted the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) in Brussels on October 15.
He said that the Brussels meeting, among other things, endorsed the Integrated Energy Task Force Report and Plan as well as approved the establishment of FoDP Task Force on Water Management. The spokesman said that the bilateral relations with EU and NATO countries also expanded and deepened with high-level meetings and visits. He said at the initiative of the Foreign Minister, the Pakistan-UK Foundation was launched in London on October 16. He said “We are looking forward to giving a warm welcome to the French President and the British Prime Minister in Pakistan next year.”
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