960424

Aseff denies charge

Pakistan not interfering in Afghan affairs

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali has strongly rejected the allegations of Pakistan's interference in the affairs of Afghanistan.

He was speaking informally to the journalists here on Wednesday after the inauguration of 7th National Exhibition of Visual and Arts.

When his attention was drawn to the statement of Head of UN Peace Mission Mestiri, he said "there is absolutely no interference from Pakistan in the Afghan affairs. This is the last and absolutely the final statement as we have given umpteen times that we are not interfering in Afghan affairs."

Commenting on the statement of Robin Raphel that "if elections are held in Kashmir, it will be fine to us," Aseff said, the elections in held Kashmir would not be acceptable to the people of Kashmir, Pakistan and Muslim countries and the other countries who believe in the charter of UNO.

The Minister rejected the news of his being replaced as speculative and without truth. It was up to the Prime Minister, as to who should be where in the cabinet. I will be the last person to object to the change of the ministry as I never wished to be a Minister, he added.

About the culture diplomacy the Minister said, Pakistan has been far behind even India in the projection of its stature in the world of art." Pakistan had been the cradle of the oldest civilisations and its artists par excellence." Even from the ancient civilisations angle, Pakistan is ahead of even the Egyptian civilization of Pheroes, he added.-APP