ISLAMABAD:
The Overseas Workplace on Thursday burdened that international coverage stays a federal accountability, responding to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Ok-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s plan to ship his personal delegation to Afghanistan to deal with safety issues.
“Overseas coverage is a federal topic, and it’s the prerogative of the Authorities of Pakistan to pursue it,” Overseas Workplace spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch mentioned at a weekly briefing.
This got here after Gandapur’s announcement to ship a Ok-P delegation to Kabul triggered backlash from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif within the Nationwide Meeting. The Overseas Workplace’s response was cautious however clear that provincial authorities do not need the mandate for international coverage.
Baloch added that any public determine’s proposals associated to international coverage should be authorized by the federal authorities. “Choices will likely be taken in Pakistan’s nationwide curiosity,” she mentioned.
When requested whether or not the Ok-P delegation may journey in a non-public capability, the spokesperson clarified that Pakistani officers and residents are free to go to different international locations privately, however such journeys should not directed by the federal government.
“As for any official engagements, these are untimely for us to touch upon till a proper proposal is made,” she added.
The Overseas Workplace additionally confirmed latest clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces, wherein 16 Taliban fighters have been reportedly killed. Baloch described the September 7 incident as “an unprovoked assault on Pakistani examine posts from throughout the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” including that Pakistan would proceed to defend itself from such provocations.
On a separate concern, Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s assist for Kashmir, rejecting Indian House Minister Amit Shah’s latest remarks. “Pakistan has all the time stood for the rights of the individuals of Jammu and Kashmir,” she mentioned, criticising India’s portrayal of its occupation as an inner matter.
“India’s claims ring hole within the face of a long time of suppression of the Kashmiri individuals,” she concluded.
