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http://nation.com.pk/national/17-Dec-2016/pakistan-willing-to-discuss-dr-afridi-s-freedom-with-us
Pakistan said it would be “willing” to discuss with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration freedom for a jailed Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden.
A top Pakistani diplomat said Islamabad is open to a "sustained dialogue" with India and would be open to offers of assistance regarding talks with New Delhi, including from the incoming Trump administration.
Tariq Fatemi, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, told VOA on Thursday that the entire region wants Pakistan and India to “end this state of acrimony and hostility”.
“India and Pakistan, in my humble view, have no other option but to talk to each other,” he added.
Asked if US President-elect Trump could help mediate talks between Pakistan and neighbouring India, Fatemi said, “Any assistance, any help, any intervention, any offer of good offices (of people) that have good relations with both India and Pakistan will be welcome.”
Last month, Trump and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held an unusually frank phone conversation during which the incoming US leader telling Sharif he would be willing to help Pakistan resolve its outstanding issues with India. “I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honour and I will personally do it,” Trump said in a transcript of the phone call released by the Pakistani government.
The government’s readout of the very casual phone call, in which Trump said Sharif was “a terrific guy” doing “amazing work”, raised considerable debate over diplomatic practices, VOA pointed out. Sharif had called to congratulate Trump on his election win.
While Pakistan previously has sought UN or US mediation over Kashmir, India has long opposed involving a third party mediator.
The special assistant said Pakistan looks “forward to engaging in very substantive ways with the incoming administration, particularly” with the state and defence departments.
Fatemi is ending a 10-day mission to Washington to talk with members of Trump’s transition team as well as to brief members of Congress and research institutions on Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorism and promote regional peace and stability. Although he listed all officials of the outgoing Obama administration with whom he interacted, he did not name any one from the Trump administration whom he had met.
Later, talking to Pakistani newsmen, Fatemi underscored the resolve of Prime Minister Sharif's government to build a stable and secure Pakistan.
Fatemi highlighted the tremendous sacrifices rendered by the people and security forces of Pakistan in the campaign against terrorism during his contacts in Washington. He emphasised that Pakistan had paid a very heavy price and was firmly committed to eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
He, however, added that Pakistan, being a sovereign State, would decide the scale, pace and reach of its counter terrorism efforts in line with its economic and operational limitations as well as other capacity constraints.
Fatemi told Pakistani reporters that though Trump administration was not yet in place, Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the new president-elect and his team with particular focus on economic linkages and trade that formed a common denominator in the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President-elect Trump.
The special assistant indicated that his current visit to the US would be followed by other high-level visits. Pakistan was aiming at building a comprehensive, sustained and forward-looking relationship with the US, he said.
On Afghanistan, he told VOA, “We are involved in peace in Afghanistan. We have a conviction that peace and stability in Pakistan is dependent to peace in Afghanistan. Our economic and energy plans with Central Asia and trade to Eastern Europe can only happen if there is stability in Afghanistan.”
Fatemi said Pakistan is “willing to play a role in the Afghan peace process,” but to do that “Pakistan and Afghanistan will have to take their military and intelligence relationship to a higher level.”
“We used our limited influence on Taliban to bring them on the table. It didn’t sustain because they (Taliban) think that the incentives are not attractive enough,” he said. “Some think that there are divisions within Taliban leadership; some think that foreign powers send conflicting signals to them.”
Responding to a question, Fatemi said Pakistan would be “willing” to discuss with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration freedom for a jailed Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden.
The doctor, Shakil Afridi, is serving 33 years in a Pakistani prison on treason charges. US authorities have denounced Afridi’s treatment as unjust and unwarranted and have frequently demanded his release.
“Pakistan would be willing to look at how we could move forward in a resolution of this problem,” Fatemi told VOA.
“We are not holding on to Dr Shakil Afridi because of some personal animosity,” he insisted.
During his election campaign, Trump told Fox News that if elected he would get Afridi out of the jail “in two minutes”.
Fatemi told VOA that a presidential pardon could be sought for the doctor under Pakistani laws but only after judicial proceedings are concluded.
“The whole process has to go through the judiciary, and it is for the judiciary then to decide whether a case is ripe or not ripe for it to be sent before the president for a possible exercise of the powers of the president to give pardon,” Fatemi said.
He reiterated that Afridi’s fake immunisation drive seriously hurt and raised suspicions about vaccination programmes the World Health Organisation is running in Pakistan.
Pakistan said it would be “willing” to discuss with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration freedom for a jailed Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden.
A top Pakistani diplomat said Islamabad is open to a "sustained dialogue" with India and would be open to offers of assistance regarding talks with New Delhi, including from the incoming Trump administration.
Tariq Fatemi, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, told VOA on Thursday that the entire region wants Pakistan and India to “end this state of acrimony and hostility”.
“India and Pakistan, in my humble view, have no other option but to talk to each other,” he added.
Asked if US President-elect Trump could help mediate talks between Pakistan and neighbouring India, Fatemi said, “Any assistance, any help, any intervention, any offer of good offices (of people) that have good relations with both India and Pakistan will be welcome.”
Last month, Trump and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held an unusually frank phone conversation during which the incoming US leader telling Sharif he would be willing to help Pakistan resolve its outstanding issues with India. “I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honour and I will personally do it,” Trump said in a transcript of the phone call released by the Pakistani government.
The government’s readout of the very casual phone call, in which Trump said Sharif was “a terrific guy” doing “amazing work”, raised considerable debate over diplomatic practices, VOA pointed out. Sharif had called to congratulate Trump on his election win.
While Pakistan previously has sought UN or US mediation over Kashmir, India has long opposed involving a third party mediator.
The special assistant said Pakistan looks “forward to engaging in very substantive ways with the incoming administration, particularly” with the state and defence departments.
Fatemi is ending a 10-day mission to Washington to talk with members of Trump’s transition team as well as to brief members of Congress and research institutions on Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorism and promote regional peace and stability. Although he listed all officials of the outgoing Obama administration with whom he interacted, he did not name any one from the Trump administration whom he had met.
Later, talking to Pakistani newsmen, Fatemi underscored the resolve of Prime Minister Sharif's government to build a stable and secure Pakistan.
Fatemi highlighted the tremendous sacrifices rendered by the people and security forces of Pakistan in the campaign against terrorism during his contacts in Washington. He emphasised that Pakistan had paid a very heavy price and was firmly committed to eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
He, however, added that Pakistan, being a sovereign State, would decide the scale, pace and reach of its counter terrorism efforts in line with its economic and operational limitations as well as other capacity constraints.
Fatemi told Pakistani reporters that though Trump administration was not yet in place, Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the new president-elect and his team with particular focus on economic linkages and trade that formed a common denominator in the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President-elect Trump.
The special assistant indicated that his current visit to the US would be followed by other high-level visits. Pakistan was aiming at building a comprehensive, sustained and forward-looking relationship with the US, he said.
On Afghanistan, he told VOA, “We are involved in peace in Afghanistan. We have a conviction that peace and stability in Pakistan is dependent to peace in Afghanistan. Our economic and energy plans with Central Asia and trade to Eastern Europe can only happen if there is stability in Afghanistan.”
Fatemi said Pakistan is “willing to play a role in the Afghan peace process,” but to do that “Pakistan and Afghanistan will have to take their military and intelligence relationship to a higher level.”
“We used our limited influence on Taliban to bring them on the table. It didn’t sustain because they (Taliban) think that the incentives are not attractive enough,” he said. “Some think that there are divisions within Taliban leadership; some think that foreign powers send conflicting signals to them.”
Responding to a question, Fatemi said Pakistan would be “willing” to discuss with President-elect Donald Trump’s administration freedom for a jailed Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden.
The doctor, Shakil Afridi, is serving 33 years in a Pakistani prison on treason charges. US authorities have denounced Afridi’s treatment as unjust and unwarranted and have frequently demanded his release.
“Pakistan would be willing to look at how we could move forward in a resolution of this problem,” Fatemi told VOA.
“We are not holding on to Dr Shakil Afridi because of some personal animosity,” he insisted.
During his election campaign, Trump told Fox News that if elected he would get Afridi out of the jail “in two minutes”.
Fatemi told VOA that a presidential pardon could be sought for the doctor under Pakistani laws but only after judicial proceedings are concluded.
“The whole process has to go through the judiciary, and it is for the judiciary then to decide whether a case is ripe or not ripe for it to be sent before the president for a possible exercise of the powers of the president to give pardon,” Fatemi said.
He reiterated that Afridi’s fake immunisation drive seriously hurt and raised suspicions about vaccination programmes the World Health Organisation is running in Pakistan.
