FO says engagement with US remains fruitful

Pakistan on Thursday said its engagement with the US in the area of mutual concern was “productive and fruitful”, same as it was with several other friendly countries in the region and outside.During its regular weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Islamabad welcomed peace and dialogue between countries, especially those friendly with Pakistan.At the briefing, she was asked about a US statement about regional stability.“We believe that Pakistan’s engagement with the United States on aspects of mutual concern has been quite productive and fruitful,” Mumtaz told reporters.“Pakistan has always said that it would like to partner with all friendly countries to promote peace and dialogue in South Asia, Afghanistan and in the context of Pakistan-India relations,” she added. To another question about some latest reported developments in the Iran-US relations, Mumtaz “welcomed peace and dialogue between countries, especially between our friends”. In her opening remarks, the spokesperson urged India to bring an end to the unjustified and illegal detention of Khurrum Pervaiz and Irfan Mehraj as well as numerous other Kashmiri activists, languishing in various jails. In this regard, she pointed out a communication addressed to India, signed by many UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights, enforced disappearances, freedom of peaceful assembly and fundamental freedoms. “The UN special procedures for human rights have expressed serious concerns at the arrest, detention, and charges against Kashmiri human rights defenders Khurram Pervaiz and Irfan Mehraj,” she added. Read also: US stresses fair polls in Pakistan The communication, she continued, was yet another indictment of the Indian occupation authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as it continued to silence and harass Kashmiri human rights defenders. “The UN Special Procedures had expressed concern that their arrests and detention were designed to delegitimize their human rights work and to obstruct monitoring of the human rights situation in IIOJK,” the spokesperson said. About the travel of the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World Cup to India, the spokesperson stressed that it would be the host’s responsibility to provide foolproof security to the players. “We believe that it is their responsibility to provide … an environment in which our players are able to participate without fear for their safety and without undue harassment by the spectators in the stands,” she added. About the relations with Afghanistan, she said Pakistan had already said time and again that it would like to have peace and amity with Afghanistan. “This has been an area of regular contact and dialogue between our two countries,” she added. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)