ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Monday summoned US Charge d’ Affaires, Ambassador
Richard Hoagland and a ‘strong protest was lodged’ with him over a
resolution submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives on Pakistan’s
southwestern Balochsitan province, the Foreign Ministry said.
Chairman
of the Sub-Committee on Oversight and Investigations of the U.S. House
Foreign Affairs Committee, Dana Rohrabacher, earlier on Friday,
introduced a House Concurrent Resolution, in support of the "right of
self-determination of the Balochi people, for being victims of human
rights violations and oppression despite being the largest province."
“Ambassador
Hoagland was told in clear terms that the move in the US Congress was
contrary to the spirit of friendly relations and violative of the
principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and
recognized norms of inter-state conduct,” a Foreign Ministry statement
said.
He was asked to convey the serious concern of the Government of Pakistan to the US Administration, the statement said.
The
U.S. embassy Islamabad Sunday said the United States ‘respects the
territorial integrity’ of Pakistan and members of Congress introduce
legislation on numerous foreign affairs topics and these bills do not in
any way imply U.S. government endorsement of any particular policy”.
The
statement said the Department of State does not typically comment on
pending legislation, but it is not the policy of the Administration to
support independence for Balochistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister
Yusuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had also
strongly condemned the US resolution in their separate statements on
Saturday the resolution was contrary to the principles of UN Charter and
international law.
Pakistani leaders said that the bill was also against the very fundamentals of the long-standing Pakistan-U.S. relations.
She
said that the National Assembly, Lower House of the parliament, had
already unanimously adopted a resolution condemning a recent open
hearing on Balochistan by the US Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on
Oversight and Investigations.
Pakistan’s ambassador in
Washington, Sherry Rehman, also reacted strongly to the resolution on
Balochistan in the U.S. Congress saying that such resolution was
"provocative".
The reaction, posted on the embassy website,
stated that "the Pakistan envoy in Washington has taken serious notice
of the resolution submitted by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Balochistan in
the U.S. House of Representative. We reject this ill-informed move and
the Congressman’s misplaced concern on Balochistan, which is a part of
the Pakistani Federation."
Pakistani leaders say that
Balochistan has a directly elected provincial assembly of its own and
has due representation in the National Assembly and the Senate of
Pakistan. Online
