FO downplays ‘anti-Pakistan bill’ introduced in US Congress

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday brushed aside what was seen as an anti-Pakistan bill introduced in the US House of Representatives and hoped that the US will instead continue its supportive role in strengthening the Pak-US ties.

“We are aware of the bill being introduced in the House of Representatives. This is an initiative of a single individual legislator. We believe the timing and context of the bill does not align well with the current positive dynamics of Pakistan-US bilateral relations based on mutual respect, understanding and non-interference in each other’s affairs,” said the Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan at the weekly press briefing here.

He was asked to comment on a bipartisan bill, titled the Pakistan Democracy Act, introduced by two US lawmakers in the House of Representatives seeking sanctions against Pakistani state officials over alleged human rights violations, including the “persecution” of former prime minister Imran Khan, according to the US media.

The bill aims to invoke the US Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which permits the US to deny visas and entry to individuals accused of committing human rights violations. However, the spokesperson appeared confident pointing out that this was just an initiative by an individual legislator and not the position of the US government.

“The bill will have to go through several committees in the House of Representatives and Senate before passing. We hope the US Congress will continue its supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries,” he said.

Pakistan remains committed to constitutionalism, rule of law, protection of human rights and freedom of expression because it considers democracy as a vehicle for prosperity and progress as a nation.

The spokesperson welcomed the recently agreed upon limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine which prohibits attacks on energy infrastructure and ensures safe navigation in the Black Sea. “We appreciate active engagement of the US administration and its leadership in securing the agreement between Russia and Ukraine. We remain optimistic that the new momentum generated by these initial steps will eventually lead to comprehensive and permanent ceasefire,” he said.

Pakistan’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been consistent, he added and said Pakistan has enjoyed friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine. “We have always advocated dialogue and diplomacy, immediate cessation of hostilities and peaceful resolution of this conflict,” he said.

The government is trying to figure out the legal implications of the visit of Pakistani journalists to Israel recently. “The Government of Pakistan has noted reports regarding Pakistani journalists traveling to Israel. In this regard, it is clarified that the Pakistani passports explicitly state that they are not valid for travel to Israel. Therefore, no such visit is possible under the existing regulations,” he explained.

Pakistan’s position on Israel meanwhile remains unchanged and it does not recognize Israel and steadfastly supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

“In the past, we have seen such reports that dual nationality holders, who were carrying another passport, traveled on that passport to Israel. Because it is just like a person entering another country without a passport. So, the question is how he or she can enter that country, unless that particular country, through a special arrangement, allows him or her to come,” responded the spokesperson.

Commenting on the recent visit by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, he said Fatemi was visiting London, New York and Washington, where he had held bilateral meetings.

“In London, he met secretary general of the Commonwealth. During the meeting, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Commonwealth and deepening cooperation in climate action and trade,” he said.

Fatemi also held important meetings with key leaders of the US Congress in the United States. He has met with the chairman of the US congressional committee on foreign affairs, ranking member of sub-committee on South Asia and Central Asia on Foreign Affairs Committee, and co-chair of Pakistan caucus already.

“These discussions focused on Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation and economic relations. The special assistant briefed the US leadership on government policies, especially the economic priorities. He explained that promoting bilateral relations, especially in the areas of trade, economy and investment, is among the top priorities of the government. Regional and international issues were also discussed during this meeting,” said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq during his recent visit to Kabul took up the issue of terrorist organization TTP with Foreign Minister Mullah Amir. “This remains very important, and very high on agenda, and it has been raised through multiple channels, including by the Special Representative. We have been explaining it and pointing it out that this is a critical roadblock in the way of the two countries realizing the full potential of the kind of bilateral relations two neighbors should have. This point remains at the top of the agenda and it will continue till we resolve this problem,” said the spokesperson. He also mentioned that good discussions had taken place, and Islamabad looks forward to seeing progress from the Afghan side.

To a query on the US imposing sanctions on some companies, 19 of them Pakistani, the spokesperson pointed out that the US had unfairly targeted Pakistan’s commercial entities without any evidence whatsoever. “Such biased and politically motivated actions are counterproductive to the objectives of global export controls and obstruct the legitimate access to technology for socio-economic development,” he said.

To a query, the spokesperson completely denied reports that China had deployed its first military contingent in Balochistan for protection of Chinese citizens. In this regard, he said both countries continue to hold discussions regarding the issue of safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan. “This is our commitment to ensure security of Chinese personnel in Pakistan. These dialogues are part of that arrangement. I completely deny this; no Chinese forces are being deployed in Pakistan. This is totally false. There is no credibility to these reports,” he clarified.