Indian blame game on Pathankot incident unfortunate, unhelpful: FO Spokesman
ISLAMABAD, Mar 03 (INP): Spokesman of the Foreign Office on Thursday termed Indian blame game on Pathankot incident unfortunate and unhelpful.
At a weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said cooperation and understanding is need of the hour to take the investigation into Pathankot incident forward.
Commenting on the Indian Defense Minister’s statement accusing Pakistan of the attack, he said blame game on the part of India is unfortunate and unhelpful.
He said Joint Investigation Team has been formed and modalities are being worked out for its visit to India.
He said Pakistan has denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes all nations need to collaborate with each other to defeat this menace.
To a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan and India are working on the dates for foreign secretary level talks.
Responding to a question, the Spokesperson said Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals are only meant to deter any aggression against its territorial integrity.
He said Pakistan is desirous to become member of Nuclear Supplier Group and has taken up this matter with the relevant countries.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will also attend nuclear security summit in Washington later this month.
The spokesperson said the Quadrilateral Coordination Group has made good progress since its inception and efforts for initiating the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan is progressing well. U.S. and Pakistani Officials Inaugurate National Biocontrol Laboratory
ISLAMABAD, Mar 3 (INP): U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service Deputy Administrator Jocelyn Brown inaugurated the National Biocontrol Laboratory at the National Agricultural Research Center today. The U.S. government provided technical assistance and equipment for the laboratory, which will conduct research to help farmers prevent pests from destroying their crops.
“This new laboratory is an excellent example of governments and institutions working together to introduce new technologies and research capacity,” Deputy Administrator Brown said. “The laboratory’s work will help farmers control harmful insects, reduce the use of chemicals for pest control, and create a safer food supply for Pakistanis.”
Country Director of the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) Dr. Babar Bajwa and Acting Chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Dr. Nadeem Amjad participated in the ribbon-cutting with Deputy Administrator Brown.
USDA collaborates with international and Pakistani organizations to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
During her visit to Pakistan, Deputy Administrator Brown met with representatives from CABI, the United Nations World Food Programme, and the National Agricultural Research Center to discuss key achievements in Pakistani agriculture and ongoing collaborations.
Deputy Administrator Brown, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer at the Northwest Frontier Province Agriculture University in Peshawar from 1988 to 1990, commented, “It is exciting to return to Pakistan and to see how our countries are working together to resolve challenging agricultural issues that affect our countries and the world.”
