Rabbani concerned over FO’s ‘misinterpretations’

KARACHI: Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani has expressed concern that the Foreign Office got involved in two “serious questions of misinterpretation” pertaining to India and the United States.

“It is a matter of grave concern that in a week since assuming office, the Foreign Office of the new government has been involved in two serious questions of misinterpretation of a letter and conversation with the Indian Prime Minister and the US Secretary of State, respectively,” he said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

“It is unfortunate that the Indian government had to issue a clarification to the Foreign Office interpretation in terms of a dialogue with Pakistan,” said Mr Rabbani, also a leader of Pakistan Peoples Party.

He said that eagerness of the new government of entering into a dialogue with India “does not auger well for the stated position of Pakistan that it is willing and ready to enter into such negotiations on all issues including Kashmir but cannot limit the agenda to terrorism alone”.

He said the controversy generated through the conversation of the US secretary of state was also uncalled for.

“The US assertion to do more continues despite Pakistan’s sacrifices of human lives, economic and political instability. People and parliament have rejected this mantra.”

Mr Rabbani said the statement of the foreign minister as reported in the national press on Saturday was also of concern, “wherein it is alleged that he has said, ‘We will have to understand their expectations and they would have to look at our requirements. It is not a one-way relationship’”.

He said the words “expectations” and “our requirements” smelt of a master and servant or client state relationship with the US.

“This is not acceptable to the people of Pakistan. This issue of Pakistan-US relationship will be raised in the upcoming session of Senate,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2018