'Congressional resolution on Balochistan provocative'

Pakistan

'Congressional resolution on Balochistan provocative'

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Pakistan embassy in the US has reacted strongly to the resolution on Balochistan in US Congress.

18 February,2012 08:33 am

The reaction, posted on the embasy website, stated that the Pakistan Embassy has taken serious notice of the resolution submitted by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Balochistan in the US 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.The chairman of the subcommittee on oversight and investigations of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Dana Rohrabacher, earlier on Friday, had 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.Balochistan has a directly elected provincial assembly of its own and has due representation in the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan, embassy said in the reaction adding that the resolution seeks to cast doubt on the territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations and a friend of the United States, and is totally unacceptable.Balochistan’s affairs and issues are an internal matter of Pakistan and it is for the people of Pakistan and our democratic institutions to address these. We would advise those behind this resolution to reserve their concern and solicitude for problems closer to home, the embassys message subtly said.It is needless to say provocations such as these will seriously impact the Pakistan-US relations. We value thisrelationship, but not at the cost of our dignity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, it cautioned while conveying the strong reservations of Pakistani government on the Congressional move.It may be mentioned here that Pakistans ambassador in Washington, DC, Sherry Rehman, had also reacted sharply to the hearing held by the subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Rohrabacher last week, and had called it a meddling in Pakistans internal affairs, which was deterimental to Pakistans relationship with the US.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC