US Congressmen’s letter defies inter-state conduct, diplomatic norms: FO

ISLAMABAD: Reacting to a letter written by over 60 US Congressmen to President Joe Biden seeking intervention for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, the Foreign Office Thursday said Pakistan valued its ties with the US and believed in a constructive dialogue and engagement to address any concern but comments on its domestic affairs were contrary to the inter-state conduct and diplomatic norms.

These comments came during the weekly press briefing by the Foreign Office spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch here.

When a reporter questioned Baloch about the US Congressmen’s letter in support of Imran Khan and his release from jail, she said Pakistan valued its bilateral relations with the United States, and believed in a constructive dialogue and engagement to address any concern. However, comments on its domestic affairs were contrary to the inter-state conduct and diplomatic norms.

“We believe such letters and statements are counter-productive and not in line with positive dynamics of Pak-US bilateral relations. These letters are also based on incorrect understanding of the political situation in Pakistan. We hope that the US Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pak-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries.”

Responding to a UN official’s comment in Geneva on Imran Khan still being jailed, the spokeswoman said she had seen the statement by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and rejected it. “We believe it is based on misinformation and inaccurate understanding of the developments in Pakistan. It has made unwarranted and misplaced conclusions. These communications are based on media reports, social media posts and speculative analysis of manifestly political nature,” she said.

She added that these were baseless insinuations and advised the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to focus on actual and grave situation of human rights violations where either the international human rights law had been rendered ineffective or draconian laws had been enacted to oppress the illegally occupied peoples.

Responding to a question about the blacklisting of Pakistani companies allegedly involved in proliferation, Baloch said Pakistan considered the latest action by the US authorities as “biased and politically-motivated”. “Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere suspicion. It involved items not listed under any export control regime, and yet were considered sensitive under broad, catch-all provisions. It is widely known that some countries, while claiming strict adherence to non-proliferation norms, have conveniently waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies to their favorite nations. Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of the global non-proliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries and endanger international peace and security”, said the spokeswoman.

Commenting on the BRICS summit in Kazan, said Pakistan was not invited to the meeting but hoped that the bloc will move forward on its membership request in line with its commitment to inclusive multilateralism. Kazan saw thirteen new nations invited as ‘partner countries’ but not full members. Representatives of these thirteen nations joined the BRICS summit.

Responding to a query, the spokeswoman said, “Pakistan was not invited to the BRICS meeting held recently. Pakistan is not a member of BRICS. Pakistan, as a developing country and an ardent supporter of inclusive multilateralism, believes that it can make important contributions in this grouping. That is why Pakistan applied for membership. We believe by joining BRICS Pakistan can play an important role in furthering international cooperation and revitalization of inclusive multilateralism”.

Commenting for the first time on the recent understanding between China and India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), she said Pakistan was following these developments as they progressed. “We have always called for peace and dialogue in the region and expect all countries to work towards settlement of bilateral disputes in conformity with the international law”.

To a query about reports that there were exchanges between the visiting Indian Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani officials during the recently held SCO conference, she said there had been no formal meeting between the two sides. “It is customary for delegations in multilateral settings to exchange pleasantries and hold informal conversations over lunch and dinner, especially between the host and the guests who are participating. There has been no formal meeting between Pakistan and India at the foreign ministers level, including at the SCO,” she said.

Meanwhile, 27th October will be marked as ‘Black Day’ in Pakistan and around the world on the 77th anniversary of the Indian troops’ landing in Srinagar. “The Kashmiri people have never accepted Indian occupation of their land and persistent denial of their right to self-determination. Their aspirations for their rights and liberty remain alive despite decades of occupation and suppression,” said the spokeswoman.