WORLD
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar strongly refuted reports that Islamabad had blocked some key Taliban commanders from proceeding to Qatar.
Pakistan has said it would not hinder the proposed US-driven initiative to open peace talks with Taliban in Qatar, refuting reports that it had blocked some key Taliban figures from flying to Doha to participate in the process.
Claiming that Islamabad would not participate in the Qatar talks until the move has the backing of Afghan government, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar strongly refuted reports that Islamabad had blocked some key Taliban commanders from proceeding to Qatar to participate in the talks.
She rejected Afghan pressure to allow Kabul officials access to top Taliban commanders, they believe to be in Pakistan.
Repeating long-standing Pakistani denials, Khar claimed that Islamabad had no idea on the whereabouts of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
"I am not an authority on where Mullah Omar is, but I do know that Pakistani authorities do not know where Mullah Omar is," the Pakistan Foreign Minister, currently on a visit here, told Guardian in an interview.
"Pakistan's view is that everything the Afghans ask us which is doable, which is realistic, which is based on facts, we will do," Khar said.
The Minister did not comment on whether Afghan officials would be allowed to meet Omar's deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is in Pakistani custody.
Her comments come in the wake of strong demands by Afghan President Hamid Karzai during his recent visit to Pakistan that Islamabad produce top Taliban commanders to hold talks with him.
Karzai had expressed frustration with the Pakistani policy, saying "impediments" in the relationship should be removed "sooner rather than later".
The paper said Pakistan's ambivalence over the effort to open a dialogue in Qatar has contributed to the poor state of nation's relationship with the US, which reached a new low in November when NATO cross-border fire from Afghanistan killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Khar is due to meet the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in London this week but she said she had no power to seek an improvement in the relationship until Pakistan's parliament had published the results of its own review.
She denied that her government was delegating a politically tricky issue, arguing that the parliamentary review of US policy was "something to be proud about" and would improve bilateral relations in the long term.
"I think this relationship has been missing a great deal of credibility and a lot of that is because the relationship has always peaked during dictatorships and because a lot of the terms of the relationship are not very transparent," she said.
"What this government is doing is trying to get some of that credibility back… Once you are able to do that I think we will turn out to be much more effective partnership."
By way of contrast, the minister praised Pakistan's relations with the UK, which she said worked well because they were "predictable", adding that Britain had been understanding over Islamabad's opposition to US drone strikes inside Pakistani territory.
In the interview Khar appeared to be holding out an olive branch to Kabul ahead of any talks in Qatar, saying "We are waiting for him (Karzai) to determine the course of action of his government and once that is done, we will want to be seen to be fully supporting it."
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...