Title: Consular access request for Khadija Shah sent to interior ministry: FO
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The US Embassy's request for consular access to Khadija Shah has been forwarded to the Ministry of Interior, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch informed on Thursday.
The United States had called on Pakistan to grant consular access to Khadija Shah, a prominent fashion designer with dual citizenship who has been detained in the wave of arrests that happened in thet aftermath of May 9 protests.
The US State Department had said its diplomats have not had access to Shah who was produced before an anti-terrorism court following protests on May 9.
"We have asked Pakistani officials for consular access to her," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel had told reporters, confirming Shah's dual nationality.
"Whenever a US citizen is arrested overseas, we stand ready to provide all appropriate assistance and we expect Pakistani authorities to respect all fair-trial guarantees owed to these detainees," Patel had said.
"The US Embassy requested consular access due to Khadija Shah's dual citizenship," said the FO spokesperson in a statement during her weekly briefing today, "the request has been sent to the Ministry of Interior".
However, she reiterated her previous stance, stressing that "the characters involved in the events of May 9 are being brought to justice according to the law".
"Pakistan is a country governed by Constitution and law. Basic rights are available to all citizens in Pakistan," she added, "the government of Pakistan is fulfilling all local laws and international commitments."
Baloch once again rejected "baseless allegations of human rights violations in Pakistan".
Read Fashion designer Khadija Shah’s health ‘deteriorates’ in jail
During the media briefing, the spokesperson also revealed that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had completed his first visit to Iraq where he met government officials and members of the business community.
"Pakistan has assured all possible support for reconstruction and peace in Iraq," said Baloch.
"Tripartite dialogue on counter-terrorism are also underway between Pakistan, China and Iran," she said, "a Pakistani delegation is being led by the DG Counter-Terrorism in Beijing for the talks".
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is in Europe where she will be visiting Norway, Belgium and Sweden, the FO spokesperson said.
Additionally, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani is on an important visit to Russia. "The purpose of the Senate chairman's visit is to improve Pakistan-Russia relations," the spokesperson said.
Notably, the Russia-Ukraine war has taken centre stage in conversations surrounding the G20 which groups 19 rich nations of the world plus the EU. India holds the presidency of the grouping for 2023 and is holding a series of events in various parts of the country that would culminate in the G20 summit in New Delhi later this year.
Pakistan had protested the holding of May 22-24 conference on tourism in Srinagar where the friendly countries of China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others had joined in by shunning the gathering.
The FO spokesperson today said that the "persecution by Indian forces in Kashmir continues. Incidents of firing on youths, especially children, are continuing in Kashmir".
"Pakistan once again demands from the international community that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the UN resolutions," said Baloch.
Published Date: 08-Jun-2023
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