ISLAMABAD: A former Pakistani ambassador to the United States (US) is ‘lobbying against his own country’ and ‘creating hurdles for the government’, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the National Assembly.
“A former Pakistani ambassador is working against his own country in the US,” Aziz said, adding that Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the US is facing challenges due to the former ambassador’s campaign.
“This person is trying to tackle all our diplomatic efforts in boosting the bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States,” Aziz said without revealing the identity of the person.
He said Pakistan was pursuing a balanced policy of non-interference into the internal affairs of other countries and protection of its own national interests. He added that it was a wrong perception that Pakistan’s foreign policy had failed and it was becoming isolated.
Pakistan, he said, was a confident and strong state as compared to other Muslims states due to its active foreign policy. Its entry into the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was very important, he added.
The adviser said Pakistan had historical and cultural ties with Muslim countries and a few visits of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to some Muslim states would have no effect on its (Pakistan’s) relations with them.
He said Pakistan’s relations with Iran were heading in the right direction. Commenting on Islamabad’s relations with Kabul, he said, “We are strictly following the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.”
