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Pakistan Foreign Ministry Briefing

Aired November 13, 2001 - 06:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go now to Pakistan as that press conference that we're waiting for being held by Aziz Kahn, who's the spokesman for the Pakistani foreign ministry is just now beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

AZIZ KHAN, PAKISTAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: Demonstrated that no single group or faction can bring peace to the country. We believe that a broad-based multi-ethnic representative political dispensation acceptable to all Afghans and that peace with all its neighbors established under the auspices of the United Nations would be the best guarantee for peace in Afghanistan as well as for its unity and territorial integrity.

The United Nations and the six plus two group should redouble their efforts in this regard. Pending the establishment of such a political dispensation, chosen by the Afghans themselves, Kabul should remain a demilitarized city under the control of a U.N. peacekeeping force or the multi national force authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

I will now take questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) The coalition partner of Pakistan has a commitment with Pakistan that the Northern Alliance will not occupy Kabul. Now have the Northern Alliance forces, as you have stated, have entered Kabul. Don't you think United States has betrayed Pakistan? Not only betrayed, but very early betrayal. The second part of my question is that it is the policy of the government of Pakistan that whoever controls Kabul government of Pakistan recognizes that government.

For the benefit of viewers who can't understand English, would you allow me to put the question in Urdu also? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Thank you.

KHAN: I have just stated Pakistan's position. The -- and that is that the Northern Alliance forces must not occupy Kabul. At the moment the situation is evolving. The situation is fluid. We have to watch the situation and come to definitive determinations, which your question implies at a later stage. So I would -- I would just confine myself to saying that the position that I have just read out is the position of the government of Pakistan. One minute -- I have not finished yet. As for as your second question is concerned, once again, when there is a political dispensation, which is in Kabul and which is acceptable to all Afghans, we will consider that question at that stage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this stance, will Pakistan encourage what it calls the moderate Taliban, or moderate Pashtuns to become a part of the scenery that you have mentioned for the broad-based government. Will Pakistan encourage those for a broad-based government?

KHAN: Pakistan will encourage all those Afghans who would like to join the peace process, which would be facilitated under the auspices of the United Nations so that two leader representative broad-based multi-ethnic dispensation takes over in Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now apparently Taliban have fallen and the seat of is vacated, and occupied by the Northern Alliance. What is the diplomatic state of south Taliban and the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Afghan embassy in Islamabad?

KHAN: There is no alternative government established in Afghanistan as yet. As such where the situation is still fluid. We will decide about that when the situation clears a little bit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm (INAUDIBLE). Pakistan has always been demanding that there should be a fast track approach for the establishment of broad-based multi-ethnic government in Kabul. But the military campaign outsmarted the political strategy that was needed. So don't you think that the delaying tactics in the evolution of broad-based government have damaged Pakistan and Pakistan feels itself left out and betrayed.

KHAN: These are very strong words you are using. You will be -- certainly the political process has not developed as rapidly as one would have desired it to develop. But one must remember also that the situation in Afghanistan is a very complicated situation.

The political broad-based representative acceptable to all Afghans is a goal that is being pursued by the United Nations, and by the six plus two, and by Pakistan over the last several years. But it has eluded us all because of the complexity and difficulty of the situation. The six plus two and the United Nations are cognizant of the situation. The six plus two ministerial meeting met in New York yesterday.

They have decided to redouble their efforts. They have all still there. The United Nations is also -- I'm quite confident, going to quicken the pace of the peace process and hopefully a political dispensation would be in place in Afghanistan shortly.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

HARRIS: We've been hearing Aziz Khan who is a spokesman for the Pakistan foreign minister and he has repeated himself this morning a number of times saying that until a political dispensation has been put in place in Afghanistan, one that can be agreed to by the people of Afghanistan, he's going to suggest that what should be done right now is that a process should be put on a fast track to establish a broad-based multi-ethnic government there in Afghanistan rather, and he says it should be done under the auspices of the U.N. -- the United Nations. That would guarantee the best chance of success for such and he also said that Kabul should be demilitarized and should be maintained as such by U.N. peacekeeping troops.

We'll, of course, keep our eye on that situation and bring you any developments as it comes in here to the CNN center because we've been watching this morning. The Taliban retreating out of Kabul -- that has changed the balance there in Afghanistan dramatically in just the last few hours or so.

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