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Summary The Foreign office spokesman said that US drone attacks are to violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
Pakistan says all stakeholders in Afghanistan reconciliation process should demonstrate perseverance‚ patience and sincerity of purpose for durable solution of Afghan issue.During the weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Friday‚ Foreign Office Spokesperson Abdul Basit said the Afghan reconciliation process is intricate and ups and downs in it are inevitable. However it is important that all the parties demonstrate patience and perseverance to achieve the objective of a sovereign‚ independent and stable Afghanistan.He said Pakistan on its part will continue to encourage all the parties towards intra Afghan consensus as was underlined by the prime minister in a statement on February 24.He said Pakistan has been using all diplomatic channels to bring an end to the strikes that are damaging our efforts against militancy and terrorism. Voices are also being raised in the West against these illegal drone strikes. He said Pakistan is taking the issue forcefully with the United States and hoped that the US will revisit its policy towards that end. He said it is high time that the illegal use of drone attacks is stopped.About the options available for stopping the drone attacks‚ the spokesman said we are waiting for the completion of the parliamentary process on the new terms of engagements with the US. In the guidelines of the parliament‚ he said we will move forward and take up the issue with the UN.To a question‚ he rejected the notion that any of Pakistans bases is being used for the drone strikes.Rejecting existence of any joint mechanism between Islamabad and Washington on the drone strikes‚ the spokesman said any arrangement where our sovereignty is compromised is not acceptable.Regarding the visit of Pakistans Judicial Commission to India‚ Abdul Basit said the commission will record statements regarding Mumbai attack and hoped this will be helpful in concluding trial of the case in Pakistan.
