ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday has unveiled the policydecision regarding ties with Iran after US sanctions on Tehran.
Pakistan reserved the right to pursue legitimate economic ties with Iran inspite of the United States decision to re-impose sanctions on the westernneighbour, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal said.
FO was examining the implications of the sanctions. However, he insistedthat Pakistan was a sovereign state and it reserved the right to pursuelegitimate interests with any country, while respecting the internationallegal regime.
Commenting on the ongoing hostility between Canada-Saudi Arabia, Dr Faisalexpressed solidarity with the latter, and said that the FO was followingwith ‘immense concern’ the crisis between the two countries.
Recently, the diplomatic spat began after Canada criticised Saudi Arabiafor the treatment being meted out to women rights activists in the Kingdom.The move sparked action from Riyadh, which suspended trade and expelled theCanadian envoy to the KSA.
Also during the briefing on Thursday, the FO raised the issue of ceasefireviolations by Indian troops, and said that more than 1,400 ceasefireviolations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary had beenreported this year. He said the Indian Deputy High Commissioner wassummoned on the second of this month to register protest on the unprovokedceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line ofControl in Mandal Sector.
At least 30 civilians were reported dead in the firing instances, the FOspokesperson said, adding, that despite rampant Indian state terrorism,Kashmiris observed a complete strike against Indian attempts to abrogateArticle 35-A in an effort to strip them of their permanent resident statusin the held territory. He termed Indian actions a complete violation of thenumerous UNSC Resolutions and international law.
The FO spokesperson said Indian forces killed 12 Kashmiris last week intheir brutal acts of violence. He expressed deep concern over reports aboutthe shifting of senior women Kashmiri leaders from Mandoli Jail to thenotorious Tihar Jail in New Delhi, in a bid to exert additionalpsychological pressure on families and to keep them away f