18 September 2001 Tuesday 29 Jamadi-us-Saani 1422

Pakistan to wait for US plans: Sattar

ISLAMABAD, Sept 17: Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on Monday reiterated Pakistan's full cooperation in the fight against terrorism and said Islamabad would wait to know Washington's plans in this regard.

"Pakistan will extend full cooperation in the fight against terrorism," the foreign minister said in an interview with CNN.

As for the specifics, he said Pakistan expected consultations and "we understand from the news that a group of high-level officials from the United States will be visiting Pakistan in near future."

"We would also like to know the plans that the United States has in mind and then we will discuss that to what extent Pakistan can be a partner in the fight against terrorism," Ms Sattar said.

Answering a question, he said that for long there had been sentiments in the country that in many parts of the world, power was being used unjustly and the sense of justice and conformity with the principles of international law was very strong among Muslims. Therefore, he stressed, when they saw violations of human right and of the use of state terrorism in parts of the world they naturally reacted with sympathy with the innocent victims of those acts.

All political leaders that President Pervez Musharraf consulted on Sunday and leaders of all religious parties who met him were unanimous in the view that Pakistan must act in conformity with the principles of international law and justice... that Pakistan must implement the resolutions of the Security Council, the minister said.

"I think that in the days ahead all the religious and political leaders who have met the president will play their role to ensure that our people understand fully the grave situation that has emerged, and will endorse the government's policy in favour of implementation of principles of international law and justice," Mr Sattar said.

In reply to another question, he said there was a broad consensus in Pakistan on the government's policy on the current situation.

"If there are groups who have other opinions, they have to act within the confines of law prevailing in the country. The government of Pakistan will have to deal with any attempt to violate the law," he said.

On the president's visit to China and Saudi Arabia in near future, Mr Sattar said the president had not yet scheduled these visits. "Let me say we are in very close contact with the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Similarly, we are in close contact with our other friends, notably China, and we are also in the process of establishing close consultations with our other friends. So I think the news that president will be travelling to China on Monday or tomorrow anticipates decisions in this respect."-APP

http://www.dawn.com/2001/09/18/top5.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 18, 2001