ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (APP):Pakistan has decided not to take further the issue of telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and said it would like the “episode to end”, the Foreign Office said Thursday.
“We would want the episode to end. Politically we need to move on,” Foreign Office Spokesman Muhammad Faisal said at the weekly press briefing to a question on the reports that the US State Department had shared the transcript of the call with Pakistan.
Earlier, Pakistan had rejected the statement issued by the State Department which said that “Secretary Pompeo raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghan peace process”.
The Spokesman said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also commented on the issue and there was the need for Pakistan and the United States to “politically move on”.
On upcoming visit of Mike Pompeo to Islamabad on September 5, he said all issues of bilateral interests would be taken up.
On Foreign Minister Qureshi’s statement who said that “the interest of the United States would be watched”, the Spokesman said, “We try to satisfy them that their interest would be watched within the perspective of safeguarding our own interests”.
On Pak-India relations and resumption of trade, the Spokesman said efforts were afoot to narrow down the wide gulf that exists between Pakistan and India, adding that opening of Kartarpura Corridor could be one of the moves in this regard.
However, he said, the issue could not be considered in isolation and emphasized that any move for peace would ensure tranquility on the Line of Control and Working Boundary and resolution of all outstanding issues.
“The road could be difficult, but I can assure you that both India and Pakistan have to take this journey,” he said.
On Iran’s invitation to Pakistan for joining its Chabahar port project, the Spokesman said Pakistan considered Gwadar and Chabahar as complimentary to each and added that all steps were being considered regarding Iran’s proposal.
He dismissed the perception that the presence of India in the project would affect Pakistan’s decision and said the country would take decisions whatever suited it in its national interest.
On upcoming visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Islamabad on September 7, he said considering China as its “iron brother”, the two countries enjoyed an overarching relation in their best interest.
The Spokesman said Pakistani soldiers participated in the military exercises in Ural Mountains of Russian which were joined by 3,000 from the countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). He said Pakistan believed that close cooperation between SCO countries would prove beneficial.
In response to statement by Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry Spokesman Najib Danish accusing Pakistan’s military establishment of supporting Taliban, he said, “These are mere accusations without any solid proof and contribute to muddling up of bilateral relations.”
