ISLAMABAD, 22 February 2004 — The United States has agreed to release more Pakistanis held in Guantanamo Bay, said Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri while talking to newspaper editors and columnists .
Kasuri, who met a 10-member US security delegation in the morning, said the government of Pakistan had been engaged in talks with US officials on the release of Pakistanis for the last one year and the US would soon release a few more Pakistanis out of a total of 53 detained at the prisoners’ camp.
Kasuri said there was no pressure on Pakistan to negotiate with India on Kashmir and other issues. “There is no pressure whatsoever and there is no cutoff date for the conclusion of the composite dialogue,” the foreign minister said at a lunch he hosted for journalists in Islamabad.
Kasuri said Pakistan was satisfied with positive developments so far and an agreement was reached between the foreign secretaries of both the countries on a schedule for meetings. “This agreement reflects a commitment by the two countries to peacefully settle all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The foreign minister said no durable peace in South Asia was possible without addressing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “The international community has welcomed the vision and determination of the leaders of the two countries to seek a peaceful settlement of all issues.”
Kasuri said the fallout of nuclear proliferation by some individuals in Pakistan had been contained by the country’s successful and proactive policy.
