ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office emphasized on Thursday that foreign policy is strictly a federal domain, following comments from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur about initiating a provincial delegation to Afghanistan to discuss security issues.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reinforced during a weekly briefing that, “Foreign policy is a federal subject, and it is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan to pursue it.”
This clarification came in response to Gandapur’s proposal, which had sparked a rebuke from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the National Assembly, asserting that provincial governments lack authority in matters of foreign policy.
Baloch clarified further that while individuals, including public officials, are free to visit foreign nations in a personal capacity, such travels should not be misconstrued as government-sanctioned missions.
“Decisions will be taken in Pakistan’s national interest,” she added, implying that any formal proposal for such a delegation would need federal approval.
Additionally, Baloch addressed recent tensions at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, confirming an incident on September 7 where Pakistani forces responded to what she described as “an unprovoked attack” by Taliban forces, resulting in the death of 16 insurgents.
In matters concerning Kashmir, Baloch criticized Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statements, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri struggle. “Pakistan has always stood for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she stated, dismissing India’s portrayal of the situation in Kashmir as an internal affair and condemning the ongoing suppression faced by the Kashmiri people.
