ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan has taken a strong position against the intervention of foreign forces in Syria, and such a position is altogether different than the expectation of the United States that is proposing to resolve the Syrian crises through intervention of foreign forces, such as it did in Libya.
Pakistan joined the group of countries supporting the Syrian government on Thursday and warned against foreign interference and military intervention in the 17-month-old conflict.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was one of the three foreign ministers who attended an international consultative meeting on the Syrian crisis hosted by Iran.
“It is our considered view that any outside intervention would further complicate an already very complex situation. It must be avoided,” Ms. Khar said at the conference attended by about 25 countries, most of which were represented at the ambassadorial level.
She urged the international community to respect Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
Besides Pakistan, representatives from Russia, China, Belarus, Mauritania, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Benin, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Oman, Venezuela, Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Sudan, Jordan, Tunisia, and Palestine attended the conference.
On Friday, the Pakistan Foreign Office eliminated all ambiguity over this issue stating categorically that Pakistan wants a peaceful resolution of the issue based on the principles of non-intervention, non-interference, and, of course, non-use of force.
Record of the Press Briefing held on August 10, 2012
Question of Reporter:
What is the stance and position of Pakistan on Syria during the recent Tehran conference and the upcoming conference in Saudi Arabia and whether Pakistan is acquiring a pro-Saudi or pro-Iranian approach?
Answer of Spokesman of Foreign Office:
Foreign Minister Khar went to Tehran to attend the Consultative Ministerial Conference on Syria. You must have seen the statement of the Foreign Minister, which conveys our position very clearly. We are obviously concerned over the deteriorating situation in Syria and want a peaceful resolution of the issue based on the principles of non-intervention, non-interference, and, of course, non-use of force.
[The] situation indicates that [the] President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, will take a clear position in [an] extraordinary meeting of [the] Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to be held in Mecca. Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz asked for the special session of the OIC, which will be held in Mecca on August 14-15, to address the major issues facing the Muslim world and the latest developments in the region. Experts believe that this extraordinary OIC meeting has been announced to shun the importance of 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in Tehran Iran from August 26-31, and this meeting – OIC meeting – is conceived by [the] United States to get desirous results to attack Syria by international forces as [it] did against Libya in [the] past. [The] President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, is attending both the meetings – first in Saudi Arabia, then in Tehran and Pakistan, [whose] stance [was] officially released before both meetings. Sources in Islamabad confirmed that Chairman Senate of Pakistan Syed Nayyar Bukhari conveyed special message of Mr. Zardari to [the] Iranian President in Tehran during his last visit, indicating that Pakistan will stand with Iran on [a] Syria situation.
