Twirp: Terrorist Wahabi Islamic Rep Pakistan 4

[Naresh]

<b>1,000 US Marines to guard Islamabad mission : FO</b>

KARACHI – <b>Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit Khan has said that 1,000 US Marines who will be coming to Pakistan will be deployed at US Mission in Islamabad.

He said that there was no restriction on the number of personnel that a foreign mission could station at its mission but it is done through mutual understanding.</b>

The FO Spokesman stated this at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday while replying to a query relating to increase in the strength of the US personnel at Islamabad’s mission. This is perhaps for the first time that a foreign office official has visited a Press Club and replied the queries asked by the media in general.

The foreign office spokesman usually briefs the media at its office in Islamabad. However, it is general practice that foreign ministers meet the media at any place or occasion they choose.

The foreign office spokesman said that Pakistan had received credible information about outside interference in Balochistan and this has been reconfirmed from the NATO sources who officially hinted that arms and ammunitions were being smuggled to Balochistan from Afghanistan and reaffirmed the resolve “ we will serve and protect the national interests.” Responding to a question, he said Pakistan-Indian dialogues were suspended after Mumbai attack but efforts were underway to re-start CMBs between the two neighbouring countries. There was a need of shifting the paradigm from conflict to cooperation as far as the relations between Pakistan and India are concerned, he added.

He said that both Pakistan and Indian Prime Minister in their meeting at Sharm El Shaikh agreed and emphasized the need of dialogues between the two countries. The meeting also agreed to hold between the foreign secretaries of the two countries in New York in September this year where issues like Sir Creek, terrorism and Kashmir would come under discussion. We want to restart CBMs, he added.

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