Pak-Afghan border not closed: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said Pakistan had not closed the Afghan border but effective border management was inevitable to eliminate terrorism.

Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said at a weekly press briefing that Pakistan had been making consistent efforts for peace in Afghanistan and believed that a politically-viable solution was important for Afghan peace and stressed to avoid the use of military force.

On the FIR lodged against the drone strike by the family of the slain driver killed along with Mulla Mansour, he said it was their right and the judiciary was independent to take up the matter according to the legal course.    of slain driver along with Mulla Mansour, he said it was their right and judiciary is independent to take up the matter according to legal course. Nafees clarified that the deadline for Afghan refugees’ stay in Pakistan was June 30, 2016; however a request from Afghanistan’s ministry concerned for extension had been received which was under consideration.

The spokesman said sustainable civil nuclear energy was essential for Pakistan’s future energy, security and economic development, adding that a non-discriminatory approach by Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was imperative to ensure strategic balance in the region.

“Any country’s specific exception would not be beneficial to non-proliferation regime as it will affect strategic stability of South Asia and credibility of NSG,” Nafees Zakaria said.

He said Pakistan’s application for NSG membership stood on solid grounds of technical experience, capability and well-established commitment to nuclear safety. He added that Pakistan had a principle support of adoption of non-discriminatory equitable and criteria-based approach which was also supported by a large number of NSG participating governments.

About an agreement signed between Japan and India on building six nuclear power plants in Andhra Pradesh, Nafees said Pakistan’s position was clear that there should not be any discriminatory treatment to a country which was not even party to the NPT. “This will further add to the reasons behind disturbing the strategic stability in the region.”

About Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that India was ready for peace talks provided Pakistan stops supporting terrorists, he said terrorism had affected Pakistan more than any other country of the world, including human loss and a huge impact on economy.

Nafees said Pakistan was ready for talks with India on all issues including Kashmir and terrorism. “Water is part of comprehensive dialogue between Pakistan and India and if the Ministry of Climate Change highlighted the issue of glaciers’ melting, both countries can discuss the issue,” he said.

To a question about the issues discussed during the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Modi, he said it was all about exchanging wishes before the former’s heart surgery. Nafees said the prime minister after his surgery was recovering and expressed gratitude to several countries sending him good wishes for his health.

About any sleeper cell still active after the arrest of Indian spy Kul Bhushan Yadev, the spokesperson said his arrest vindicated Pakistan’s stance of Indian involvement about which the world community was being apprised.

On China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said the project was of great economic significance for the entire region, adding that it was a flagship venture which had six more programmes under the concept of ‘One Belt One Road’.