ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Pakistan in the last week of June, first time since Nawaz Sharif took over as Pakistan’s prime minister after May polls, the foreign office spokesman said on Thursday.
“US Secretary of State Mr John Kerry will be visiting Pakistan in the last week of June,” Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry told a weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
The spokesman said the specific dates of Kerry’s visit would be announced once they had been finalised.
Chaudhry said that Pakistan’s concern regarding drone strikes has been emphatically conveyed to the United States.
Pakistan has raised the issue of drone attacks at different world forums including the United Nations Human Rights Council,” he said.
The spokesman said that “We will continue to raise this issue with the US officials at all appropriate forums. The issue is also being discussed with the likeminded countries.”
When asked about recent drone strikes‚ the spokesman said the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi on the directions of the Prime Minister summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires to the Foreign Office and lodged a strong protest.
“Drone strikes are in violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and international laws,” the spokesman said.
To another question about the violation of Pakistani airspace by the two Indian planes Aizaz Ahmad said Islamabad has conveyed its serious concerns on the incident. He said Indian authorities have termed this violation as technical one.
To a question‚ Chaudhry said the Afghan President has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Kabul. But so far no date has been fixed for this visit.
About the problems faced by Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia‚ the spokesperson said officials of the two countries are in contact with the Saudi authorities and all possible efforts are being made to regularize their stay.
DND
