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| N-proliferation probe over: FO |
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Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Rules out action against two charities declared terrorist entities by US; says Kabul asked to fence, mine border to stop infiltration; terms Kashmir massacre terrorist act
ISLAMABAD: The release of a senior nuclear scientist linked to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan marks a closure of investigations into the proliferation of weapons technology by the pioneer of the nation’s nuclear bomb, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Mohammed Farooq, who worked at the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), was released last week after two years in detention — the last of 11 people held for their alleged links to AQ Khan’s black market network.
“We have conducted thorough investigations in this affair. We have shared our information with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and other countries, including the United States,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly press briefing. “As far we are concerned this chapter is closed. I would presume that with Dr Farooq’s release there is a closure to that case,” she said.
The spokeswoman reiterated that Pakistan would not allow outsiders, including the IAEA or the United States, access to those who were implicated in the proliferation, and that it if there were further questions in the case, it would address them.
“We have repeatedly said that whatever information is required, questions can be forwarded to the government of Pakistan. We would get the answers. We will do the investigations and transmit this information. There is no question of direct access,” Aslam said.
The spokesperson also said Pakistan condemned the massacre of 34 Hindus in held Kashmir as an act of terrorism, and hoped the incident would not affect the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
“The killings of 34 Hindus in the Doda district is unfortunate, it is a terrorist act and we condemn it,” she said. “It will not have any impact on the peace process,” between Pakistan and India, she said referring to the peace dialogue launched by the nuclear rivals in January 2004.
Replying to a question about the US decision to declare two charities as terrorist organisations, the spokesperson said Pakistan has no plan to take action against these organisations. The State Department last Friday designated Jamaatud Dawa and one of its affiliates, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, as terrorist organisations, saying they were fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the most feared groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. The State Department said all assets held by the two charities in the United States would be frozen.
The spokesperson said Pakistan was under no obligation to comply with the US decision. “We are not required, and we do not put any entities on the terrorist lists, if action is taken under the domestic US law,” she said. “However, if the UN Security Council’s sanctions committee were to designate any organisation (as a terrorist group), then it becomes legal obligation to take action.”
Commenting on the Iran-Pakistan, India, or IPI gas pipeline project, the spokeswoman said the much-debated project would be completed even without India, adding that Islamabad and Tehran have almost reached an agreement to finalise the project. She however, added that the Iranian deputy minister of petroleum would hold talks with India in this context.
The spokeswoman expressed optimism that the lingering Kashmir dispute would be resolved as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people. She added that the Kashmiri leadership would be in contact with Pakistan and India, which would be helpful in resolving the issue.
About the proposal of mining and fencing of the border inside Afghanistan Pakistan made during the meeting between Foreign Minster Khurshid M Kasuri and his Dutch counterpart, she said there was movement not only from Pakistan but also from Afghanistan to Pakistan as well.
Commenting on South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), the spokeswoman underscored that there was no change in its role, adding that Pakistan wanted to make this organisation more effective.
To another question, she noted that the tripartite exercises began in Bahrain, which increased the cooperation on the exchange of information of security defence an information. She said the next meeting of Pakistan-US Joint Working Group would be held in the United States in which issue pertaining to civil nuclear technology to Pakistan would be discussed.
On the proposed meeting between the Kashmiri leaders and the Indian Prime Minister, she said Pakistan had all along been emphasizing on the importance of associating Kashmiri leadership with the peace process.
She pointed out that the Kashmiri leaders had been meeting with the Pakistani and Indian leaders and also each other. Although the Kashmiri leaders were not sitting on the table, she said their meetings with the Pakistani and Indian leadership were part of the trilateral engagement and Islamabad welcomed it.
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briefs...
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ISSN 1563-9479 
