Pakistan pursues policy of non-interference, protection of national interests: Aziz

ISLAMABAD, June 21 (APP): Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign
Affairs Sartaj Aziz Tuesday said Pakistan was pursuing a balanced policy
of non-interference into the internal affairs of other countries and protection of its own national interests.

Winding up debate on various cut motions of the opposition regarding
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their criticism on the country’s
foreign policy, the Advisor said it was a wrong perception that Pakistan’s foreign policy had failed and it was becoming isolated.

Pakistan, he said, was a confident and strong state as compared to
other Muslims states due to its active foreign policy. Its entry into
the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was very important.
He said Pakistan had historical and cultural ties with Muslim countries
and a few visits of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to some Muslim states would have no effect on its (Pakistan’s) relations with them.

He pointed out that Pakistan was making successful efforts to
stop India’s entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The Advisor said Pakistan’s relations with Iran were heading in the
right direction while “we are strictly following the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.”

Pakistan, he said, was sincerely trying to maintain peace in Afghanistan and work on border management with the neighbouring country continued. The border management between the two countries was a must to check infiltration of terrorists and extremists, he stressed.

The Advisor said Pakistan was pursuing a modest and reasonable
foreign policy in its meager resources. The Foreign Ministry’s spending for the year 2016-17 was just Rs 15 billion against India’s Rs 115 billion.

Earlier, the opposition members criticized the foreign policy and allocation of more funds to Foreign Office in the budget.

APP Services