Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Tuesday that Pakistain was not responsible for all the ills of Afghanistan, and the country would formulate polices keeping in view core objectives and supreme national interest.The foreign minister said the people and governments of Pakistain and Afghanistan have close contacts, and Pakistain seeks to further cement ties with all neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, she told the senators during question hour. "We seek best possible good relations with Afghanistan." However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow...
she dispelled the impression that Pakistain was responsible for every ill in Afghanistan. There are some hard questions between the two countries and difficult to resolve quickly, she admitted. She informed the House that after the liquidation of Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani
... the gentlemanly murdered legitimate president of Afghanistan...
, there was threat of attack on Pakistain's embassy in Kabul, but security was tightened.
Talking to media outside parliament, she said "We will make polices keeping in view core objectives, and national interests of the country are supreme". To a question, the minister said the ambassadors' conference discussed how to reevaluate the country's polices, keeping in view national interests. Pakistain's interest was defined in the conference and the means to protect it were also discussed in detail. Khar said the issue of regional security also came under discussion, as well as ways to move forward and make cordial ties with other countries without compromising on the national interest.
All this, she said, is part of the consultation process. She said recommendations of the conference would be sent to parliament and its National Security Committee for approval. "Being a supreme body, parliament has the authority to make polices," she added. To a question, she said there was complete unity among institutions and political parties on important national issues. She was of the view that conflict with any country was not in Pakistain's interest.
"We do not want to end our ties with any country; we are just protecting and safeguarding our national interests," Khar said, adding that the president, prime minister and all the institutions were on the same page. Replying to a question about NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
supply, she said parliament and its National Security Committee had the mandate to make the decisions. "Every institution has its mandate and is working according to that," she said. The minister said although making of polices was the responsibility of the politicians, other institutions should also give their input.