ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States are currently in a new process of re-engagement, with productive and cooperative collaboration being undertaken in different matters, said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson of the Foreign Office, on Thursday.
Ned Price, American State Department spokesman, had said earlier this week that the country had granted concessions to other countries for buying oil from Russia, and that Pakistan could use these concessions as well.
Baloch spokesperson noted that Pakistan appreciated its close friendship with the United States, and that there was a process of re-engagement between the two countries.
When asked about the case of Abdul Rehman Makki, who had been listed by the United Nations without being given the chance to defend himself, the spokesperson stated the decision had been made by the UN via its listing procedure and that Pakistan, as a responsible member of the international community, follows decisions made by the agency and its institutions.
The spokesperson also dismissed claims of backdoor diplomacy between Pakistan and India, stating that at this stage, no dialogue was taking place between the two countries.
Hina Rabbani Khar, deputy foreign minister, is set to lead the Pakistan delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva later this month. The delegation will present Pakistan’s progress report under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The report will detail the numerous legal, policy, administrative and institutional measures taken by Pakistan to protect and advance human rights in the last five years.
Baloch further commented on the ongoing atrocities committed by India in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that Pakistan will continue to raise its voice in condemnation of these grave human rights abuses, and that it will provide unstinted moral, political, and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as they seek self-determination in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
