ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Pakistan welcomes the statement made by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, offering assistance in resolving the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir between Pakistan and India.

In a recent interview with an Indian news agency, the UN Secretary General expressed readiness to engage with India and Pakistan in resolving the Indian-held Jammu Kashmir issue if requested by both.

“As I have stated in the past, if both countries request it, I am ready to engage further to assist in resolving this issue,” the UN Secretary General said.

Ban Ki-moon also asked both Pakistan and India to resume talks to reach an agreement that would serve their security interests as well as that of the region.

“This (Kashmir) unresolved issue remains root cause of tension between Pakistan and India,” the Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said in her weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.

The spokesperson said the just resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue is of paramount importance for ensuring peace, stability and development in the region.

Tasneem Aslam deeply appreciated the statement of UN Secretary Generals to associate people of Jammu and Kashmir in the process.

“Pakistan firmly believes that the final resolution of the issue should be in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people to be determined through free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices as enshrined in the relevant resolutions,” she said.

“Pakistan is committed to sustained, unconditional and result oriented dialogue with India to discuss all outstanding issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” Aslam said.

Pakistan strongly condemns killing of Palestinian cabinet minister by Israeli forces

The Foreign Office spokesperson further said that Pakistan strongly condemns the killing of the Palestinian cabinet minister by Israeli forces yesterday.

The 55-year-old Ziad Abu Ein, who was in charge of the issue of Israeli settlements for the Palestinian authority, was killed by the Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

“This is an unprecedented act of barbarism,” Tasneem Aslam said, adding that continued killing of the people of Palestine must come to an end.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan expects the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the international community to play their due role in this regard.

Tasneem Aslam said that an independent viable state of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital is the only way to guarantee lasting peace and stability in the region.

Pakistan deplores systematic torture to detainees by CIA

In reply to a question regarding the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) torture on prisoners, the spokesperson said that Pakistan deplores the systematic torture to detainees by the CIA.

The spokesperson said that the US Senate Committee report re-enforced what we have said all along that international humanitarian law must be respected while encountering international terrorism.

The Foreign Office spokesperson emphasized the need for transparency. She also referred to assurances held out by the US administration at the highest level that this behavior would never be repeated.

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