Pak FM for release of hostages, says no change in Iraq policy
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, July 27, IRNA -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has appealed to the captors of two Pakistanis in Iraq to release them keeping in view Islamic values and brotherhood. Pakistan has not made any change in its policy regarding Iraq and it did not support the US stance on Iraq in the UN despite having very close relations with the US, Kasuri said in a statement read before the National Assembly on Tuesday. "Any decision to send troops to Iraq will be taken after taking the National Assembly into confidence." He said that although United States has requested Pakistan to send troops to Iraq as a UN protection force, no decision in this regard has so far been taken. The government had always taken into confidence the parliament on the issue of Iraq and a joint resolution on Iraq was passed in the Senate last year, the official added. "Pakistan is implementing a bi-partisan foreign policy keeping in view the supreme national interests" Kasuri said, adding that "Pakistan is a sovereign country and it takes decisions independently without taking any guidelines from outside." The leader of the opposition, Maulana Fazalur Rehman, and other opposition members have charged that wrong policies had been adopted while tackling internal and external issues. They said that Pakistan should adopt an "independent" foreign policy that can protect the interests of the Pakistani nation and Muslim ummah. According to them, due to the government`s present foreign policy uncertainty in all spheres is on the rise, and they have demanded that open discussions be held in the house on foreign policy. They have also demanded on the government to take appropriate measures for the release of the two Pakistanis held in Iraq. TK/TSH/2321/1432
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