PTI objects to statement on policy for India

ISLAMABAD: The PTI has strongly objected to the press release issued by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in the NA on February 1 without taking formal approval from all members. With Awis Ahmed Khan Leghari in the Chair, a press release relating to policy recommendations with India was issued and now the PTI is taking up the matter with the Standing Committee.

PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari tells The News, “This press release with recommendations was released to the press before we gave our formal approval - we were sent the copy of the press statement rather than a document seeking our approval. We have serious reservations on the formulations especially on Kashmir - and we had asked for Siachen and Sir Creek to be mentioned in particular and the agreements already reached which were then backtracked on by India as starting points for dialogue”. She said the PTI does not agree “with only limited dialogue on four issues - Kashmir , Water, Trade and Culture and Communication. We simply said these four issues were very important - but we want the composite dialogue format to be resumed and issues taken up where they were left off.”

The PTI says that the habit of bulldozing issues by the government has now also crept into the standing committees.Another issue that PTI is also bringing up is the fact that the government is continuing to ‘consult’ with just one group of ‘consultations’ who have received US funding.“What about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs think tank the Institute of Strategic Studies, why is it not been taken into the loop?”, she asked.