August 26, 2016
ZULFIQAR AHMAD
Pakistan unambiguously supports China’s stance in relation to the South China Sea dispute. This was stated by Adviser to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz at a joint sitting of Senate Standing Committees on Defence and Foreign Affairs, presided over by Senators Nuzhat Sadiq and Mushahid Hussain Sayed here on Thursday. Sartaj Aziz also said that border management with Afghanistan is necessary to stop illegal border crossings. “Pakistan supports China’s stance on the South China Sea dispute,” he said.
He said the US is supporting Pakistan in border management with Afghanistan, adding border management is in favour of Pakistan and Afghanistan. “We’re ensuring facilities for border crossings with valid travel documents, so that no one can cross the border without valid travel documents,” he added. He said there are several groups of Taliban in Afghanistan, of which some want talks while some of them are not ready to come to the negotiation table. Secretary Foreign Affairs Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said Pakistan fully supports reconciliation process in Afghanistan towards peace in the region.
He said peaceful negotiations with Taliban and the Haqqani network are the only solution in Afghanistan, adding thousands of people cross Pak-Afghan border at Torkham and Chaman border points daily. He said Pakistan established the gate along Afghan border on its land to check illegal crossings. He said that work on four major crossing points is under way, for which Pakistan has also talked to the Afghan government.
“Pakistan believes that there is a need for a more unified and coherent messaging from Afghanistan in favour of peace and they [Afghanistan] should seriously give a message to Taliban for talks,” Chaudhary said. The Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary said Afghanistan should give a unified and coherent message for peace and reconciliation with Taliban as military offensive is no solution to the problem. The officials of the Defence Ministry informed the meeting that Pakistan will build all the crossing points as the World Bank has agreed to provide funds for its construction.
They officials said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed for strengthening Pakistan’s relations with Russia. The government is also trying to improve our strategic relations with North and South Koreas. Secretary Defence told the meeting that we have 2600 kilometers-long porous border with Afghanistan and maximum work on Torkham Border management has been completed. The meeting discussed the situation arising out of the drone strike against Mullah Mansour and the impact on the Pak-US security relations.
