Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan had neither been diplomatically isolated nor had its position weakened following US President Donald Trump’s speech outlining the country’s policy on South Asia.

“We have neither been diplomatically isolated, nor has our diplomatic position weakened,” the minister said while giving a policy statement on an adjournment motion in the Senate regarding the apparent change in China’s policy towards Pakistan in light of the 9th BRICS Summit declaration in September.

“An incorrect impression was created that our support in the region had been affected following Trump’s speech,” he said. The minister went ahead to say that prior to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) notification, its tougher predecessor — Heart of Asia — was signed by Pakistan.

Earlier, Asif said that any role of US in ending the conflict between India and Pakistan was welcome. Addressing a session at the Pakistan-US dialogue, Asif said that Pakistan had long-standing ties with the US. “But we have reservations over the new US policy that blames Pakistan for instability in the region, including Afghanistan,” he said.

During Asif’s recent visit to the US, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said Pakistan is critical for the long-term stability of South Asia. “Not just Afghanistan, but it is the importance of Pakistan and Pakistan’s long-term stability as well,” he said while speaking about US’s policy towards South Asia.

The minister said there had been proscribed organisations in the country and an advertisement was published before Eidul Azha not to give charity or animal skins to them. He said that Pakistan valued the Security Council’s decisions against such organisations because it was fully committed to taking action against them. “We have strong diplomatic ties with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia as they back us on various issues,” he added.

The legislators also discussed state institutions and their role in the scheme of trichotomy of power.

PML-N Senator Nihal Hashmi said all institutions should work according to their well-defined domains. However, he said, some institutions with help “the gun and power” interfered in political affairs and always derailed the democratic setup. PPP Senator Karim Ahmad Khawaja said the encroachment would continue until political parties became stronger.

Sajid Mir suggested that all political parties should vow not to support the establishment for removing each other from power.

PPP minority Senator Giyan Chand said that judiciary always supported forces against democratic setup. However, the JUI-F Senator Attaur Rehman said instead of talking about others, parliamentarians should strengthen the democratic setup. “We are responsible for what has happened to the parliamentary system,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister for Power Division Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari informed the Senate that steps were being taken to stop electricity theft.

Replying to various supplementary questions during question hour, the minister said that over-billing was made an offense. The National Assembly’s Standing Committee has already unanimously approved three year imprisonment for officials involved in the over-billing,” he said.