Envoys conference starts in Islamabad

Analysts said that main purpose of the two-day conference to be held on Dec 12-13 will focus on the situation emerged after the NATO attacks on Pakistani posts in Mohmand Agency.“The conference will provide feedback on the current policy of Pakistan and would provide material for future policy formulation,” said Dr Tahir Amin, faculty member, International Relations Department of Quid-eAzam University.The attacks tensed Pak-US and Pak-NATO relations as Pakistan was non-NATO ally in war on terror. In few days after the attack Pakistan ordered US to vacate the Shamsi Airbase, operative station of drones. Pakistan also blocked supply route to NATO in Afghanistan besides boycotting the most-awaited Bonn Conference on Afghanistan.But Pakistani Foreign Ministry sources made it clear that the conference never mean to retrain relations with US or NATO. Rather it would mean to consider new terms of engagement with Washington and NATO countries.In his weekly briefing, Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit had also said that the envoys’ conference will deliberate on different aspects of the foreign policy of Pakistan.Giving details of the conference, the spokesman said that foreign policy is being reviewed under the directives from the decisions taken by federal cabinet and its Defence Committee especially on the issue of Pakistan’s relations with NATO and United States in the backdrop of NATO attacks on Pakistani posts.Pakistan and NATO has been discussing ‘political frame work’ for their future cooperation.The foreign office think that Pakistan has been pursuing a scrupulous foreign policy aimed at having better relations with all the countries on equal basis and under the charter of United Nations to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.But Pakistani officials on several occasion hinted at the objective of, being pursued by the country presently was to play its due role in the international community to ensure peace and stability keeping in view that national interests.Analysts also maintain that meeting of envoy is essential and would provide feedback to all the stakeholders including politicians on the foreign policy of Pakistan. “New terms of engagement would be the outcome of this whole exercise,” Amin said.