ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has rejected the whispering campaign against the country’s nuclear programme; termed it as baseless and declared it in safe hands.
Pakistan has termed the whispering campaign about Pakistan’s nuclear program as baseless and our civil nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said this in her weekly briefing in Islamabad. She said Pakistan is dealing with its nuclear technology for over forty years. She said Pakistan has a declared nuclear weapon and civil nuclear programs. She said Pakistan’s civilian nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards and is used for energy, medical, agriculture and other fields.
Tasnim Aslam said Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud will start three-day visit to Pakistan on 15th of this month on the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
She said a high level Saudi delegation will be accompanying him including trade, economy and planning ministers. She said both the countries will be discussing wide-range of matters including trade, defense and export of Pakistani manpower to Saudi Arabia. She categorically said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will not be discussing nuclear cooperation in the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince.
She said visit of the Crown Prince will help expanding the existing bilateral ties and will give new impetus to the fraternal bonds between the two countries. It would provide good opportunity to explore ways and means for further strengthening cooperation of diverse areas of mutual interest particularly in enhanced trade and investments.
To a question, the spokesperson said as part of Pakistan’s defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif will be calling on the Crown Prince, as he also holds the office of Saudi Defense Minister.
She said both the countries will also be deliberating on regional peace and stability situation and other international matters of mutual interest.
Tasnim Aslam said Pakistan has decided to resume trade through LoC in the best interest of Kashmiris. She said Pakistan do not want to create any impediment in this regard and hopes for the same gesture from the other side. She said the proposed meeting of working group on cross-LoC trade is likely to take place after 22nd of this month in New Delhi.
She termed Pakistan-Afghan-Turkey Trilateral Summit in Ankara as important in terms of its timing. She said Afghan Presidential Elections are soon going to take place and post-drawdown Afghan troops will take over the responsibilities of maintaining peace and security in that country.
Regarding Pakistani student Shah Zaib, she said Pakistani mission in United States has extended its full cooperation to Shah Zaib’s family in terms of issuance of visas and their stay in United State. She said already 350,000 US dollars have been spent by the insurance company on Shah Zaib’s medical treatment as he suffered life threatening injuries in an accident in Minnesota. She said additional 90,000 US dollars have been set aside if his family decides to shift him back in Pakistan.
Regarding the question of Pakistan expatriates in Saudi Arabia, Tasnim Aslam said Pakistani mission and consulates have worked day and night to legalize Pakistani workers’ stay in Saudi Arabia. She, however, said who did not pay heed to the efforts of Pakistani mission; they were arrested by Saudi authorities and detained in four detention centers.
She said we are completing the process of their verification and re-repatriation from Saudi Arabia. She said around 4,451 Pakistanis have been detained in these detention centers.
The spokesperson informed over 90,000 Pakistanis were legalized after the Saudi government decided to bring change in their labor laws.
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