Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Pak qualifies for civil nuclear tech transfer: Shah Mehmood

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 26 (APP): Pakistan was re-elected Monday to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the UN, for the third consecutive year, with Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling it a “fabulous victory”. “It’s a fabulous victory for Pakistan. It reflects the prestige Pakistan enjoys in the international community,” the top Pakistani diplomat told APP after Pakistan polled 149 votes in balloting at the 192-member General Assembly.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (APP): Pakistan has a role to play in Afghan reconciliation process and a political element is important to resolving the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, according to a senior United States envoy. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke rejected the assertion that Pakistan army is opposed to Afghan reconciliation.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (APP): Pakistan was re-elected Monday to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the UN, for the third consecutive year, with Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling it a “fabulous victory”. “It’s a fabulous victory for Pakistan. It reflects the prestige Pakistan enjoys in the international community,” the top Pakistani diplomat told APP after Pakistan polled 149 votes in balloting at the 192-member General Assembly.

LONDON, Oct 25 (APP)- Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, the former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and leader of the People’s Muslim League (PML), underscored the need to resolve the Kashmir issue, which, he said, remained a flash point for a major conflagration not only in South Asia but for world at large.

LONDON, Oct 25 (APP)-The UK-based Association of Pakistani Lawyers on Monday condemned terrorist bomb attack at the shrine of “Baba Farid Ganj Shakkar” in Pakpattan and demanded a stern action against those outlawed elements in the state.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi hoped his beleaguered side is focused enough to counter a spirited South African team in the back-to-back Twenty20 matches starting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Pakistan’s recent tour to England was rocked by spot-fixing allegations which prompted a Scotland Yard investigation and the suspension of three of their players by the International Cricket Council, a private TV channel reported.

KARACHI, Oct. 25 (APP)- Former President International Cricket Council (ICC) Ehsan Mani is disgruntled over the conduct of the game’s ruling body in connection with Indian Test batsman Suresh Raina. Controversy hit the Indian cricket when a news report claimed that during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, Indian batsman Suresh Raina was seen in the company of a woman known to be an associate of a man allegedly linked to a bookmaker.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): President of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said US $400,000 donation from international governing body of football (FIFA) vice president Chung Mong Joon will go a long way in helping Pakistani football stand back on its feet.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Top ranked tennis players have confirmed their participation in the 8th Subh-e-Nau (SN) National Clay Court Tennis Championship, starting from Wednesday at Pakistan Tennis Federation Complex Tennis Courts here.

LAHORE, Oct 24 (APP): Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi while quoting Pakistan’s urgent energy requirements has said that Pakistan has 35 years experience with no untowrad incident ever regarding our nuclear technology and this qualifies us for the civil nuclear technology transfer from the US.“Pakistan has the technology as well as technicians and can run civil nuclear programme efficiently”, he said while responding to the media men during a press conference on his return from the US at the State Guest House here Sunday.

The Foreign Minister said that energy sector was on the top of agenda in the 13 sectors discussed during the starategic dialogues with US.
To a query regarding Pak-Iran gas pipeline project, he said that the matter was not taken up at the dialogues adding that Pakistan had enetered a deal with Iran keeping in view its energy needs and run our industry.
About the defence grant to Pakistan, the FM said that the US would give defence equipment to Pakistan to enhance capacity of countering terrorism in the region.
To a question about the military operation in North Waziristan, he said our armed forces have taken effective measures in the tribal belts and Pakistan’s security agencies were advancing in a systemic way in the area adding that around 34,000 troops have deployed there.
To a query regarding Afghanistan, he said, “As far as Afghanistan is concerned, Pakistan and the US have convergence of interests and both want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan”.
He said that Pakistan was looking beyond terrorism and the government had started to promote people to people contacts with the Hazaras, Tajiks besides the Pashtuns adding that Pakistani economic interests were linked with peace in land-locked Afghanistan which a prove of a very good market for Pakistani investors.
When asked about Kashmir, Qureshi said that the Kashmiri leadership had acknowledged PPP government’s services for the cause of Kashmiris and he himself took up the Kashmir issue at the UN by saying that “Mothers of Kashmiris are bewildered at the international silence on the atrocities in the Indian held Kashmir.”
He said Kashmir was on the agenda during the strategic dialogues, adding that the government made the US realize that no viable peace was possible in the region without resolution of the Kashmir issue.
He said Pakistan wanted cordial relations with India and resolution of Kashmir issue was also in the Indian interest.The Foreign Minister further said that Pakistan supports bilateral dialogue on Kashmir and it was also on the agenda of Composite Dialogue with India, adding, Pakistan had made it clear to the US that performance of SAARC could not improve without settling down the core issue of Kashmir.
To a question about Dr. Afia Siddiqui, he said, the government had honestly taken up the issue with the US government on all forums and tried to provide all kinds of diplomatic, legal as well as financial assistance to her.
He said the government would adopt every measures for the release of Dr. Afia Siddiqui.
About CIA, Qureshi said, the security agencies had close links with each other all over the world. He said, Pakistan does share information with the CIA, since it is in our common interests.
Regarding US President Barak Hussain Obama’s visit to Pakistan, the Foreign Minister said that the US President wanted to strengthen Pak-US ties and would visit Pakistan the next year adding that the US government would also invite President Asif Ali Zardari for US visit.
About taking PML(N) leadership into confidence regarding the strategic dialogues, Qureshi said that the government had pursued a policy of taking coalition partners, all political parties as well as the opposition into confidence on all national issues.
He said, “I had a chance meeting with the PML (N) Chief Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on my return from the US and I briefed him on the strategic dialogues during my flight from London to Pakistan. “The Minister further said, it was a chance meeting and the PML-N Chief’s response was positive to the strategic dialogues.
He said that a country’s foreign policy was always beyond partisan interests.
Qureshi said that the US government had an ideological bias for democracy and it wants to see a democratic dispensation in Pakistan, adding that 18th amendment was one of the greatest achievement by the democratic forces in the country.
The Foreign Minister said that democracy has a bright future in Pakistan, it has to flourish along with the other democratic institutions in the country.
Earlier, briefing the media about the recently concluded strategic dialogues, he said that Pakistan had made the parleys meaningful and achieved many positives.
Qureshi said the US Secretary of State, Hillry Clinton had agreed that Pakistan is today the most important partner in the war against terrorism.
He clarified that the recently announced funds for Pakistan are neither a loan nor debt but a grant, which would be provided for education, health and other public sectors from Americans taxpayers’ money.
The Foreign Minister said, we have provided a new perspective to the Pak-US relations, adding, Pakistan, today, is not simply accepting but also making the US accept our terms.
Qureshi said, the US had awarded a five-year 7.5 billion dollars Economic Assistance Programme for the development of Pakistan’s economic sector along with a five-year Security Assistance Programme to assist Pakistan in the war against terrorism.

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