Daily Times

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson said on Thursday that Pakistan will not be participating in the conference of regional stakeholders regarding Afghanistan – which is scheduled to be held this week in Moscow.

In a weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told journalists that Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan are in coordination on several important issues and currently “we do not want to divulge any particular agenda under discussion among the three”.

Baloch further briefed the press that “Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani is still in Pakistan. We are observing the situation from every perspective and the foreign office has not yet decided to send back Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan”.

Talks with Afghanistan on intelligence and security are already underway, she added. While responding to the question about the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s visit to the US, she said: “We are not aware of the army chief’s trip to the US. ISPR could inform better on this matter.” The spokesperson during her press briefing expressed condolences to the deceased people, who lost their lives as a result of the earthquake that struck Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon in the wee hours on Monday.

“Pakistan has conveyed its deepest condolences and sympathies to the victims of the earthquake that hit parts of Türkiye, Syria and Lebanon on 6 February resulting in the loss of precious lives and extensive damage to property,” Baloch said. We have extended our heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of life and offered all possible support in the relief efforts, Baloch said while further adding: “Our support is being delivered in the form of relief assistance and rescue and support teams.”

She also mentioned that there have been no reports about any Pakistani injured in the earthquake. The spokesperson also informed the media that “our Missions in Türkiye and Syria remain in constant touch with the relevant authorities and our community to identify any requirement for the earthquake-affected areas and to provide relief to Pakistanis, who may be affected by the earthquake.”

She confirmed that 23 Pakistani nationals were evacuated from the quake-hit Turkiye, while no casualties were reported so far. “So far, we have no news of casualty of any Pakistani in Turkiye or Syria,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said at a weekly press briefing. Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistanis were evacuated from Gaziantep University and accommodated in Adana city. The devastated city of Gaziantep, located about 33km from the epicentre, suffered heavy loss of life and infrastructure during the earthquake. “Sixteen of these evacuated persons will be brought back to Pakistan, while the rest will be shifted to Istanbul city of Turkiye,” she said.

She said the country’s missions in Turkiye and Syria remained in constant touch with the relevant authorities to provide relief to Pakistanis affected by the earthquake. In response to a question regarding the outcome of Pakistan’s series of meetings with Afghanistan and Iran, she said the multifaceted dialogue with the neighbouring states would lead to positive development. The spokesperson said Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi will visit Pakistan from February 15-16.

“The visit will provide an opportunity for Pakistan and the IAEA to explore avenues to advance cooperation in peaceful applications of nuclear technology for socio-economic development,” she said.

Baloch said Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan would visit France to meet his counterpart on February 10 for the 14th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations. A roadmap for bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and France will also be signed, she said.

About the eviction of Kashmiri Muslims from the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), she said in some states of India, bulldozers were used to demolish the properties of Muslims to terrorize them.

“It is unfortunate that Indian authorities are using land as a weapon to intimidate the people of IIOJK,” she said. She condemned the recent attack by the Indian occupation authorities at the office building of the Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in Rajbagh, Srinagar, terming it an oppressive act and yet another assault on political freedom in the IIOJK.

She said Pakistan would continue to extend political, diplomatic, and moral support to Kashmiris for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.