Islamabad, Feb 13, IRNA ,Pakistan says it would welcome Chinese participation in the IPI gas pipeline project.
Responding to questions at the weekly news briefing here Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said Pakistan is committed to the project because of its rising energy needs.
He said Pakistan welcomes prospects of Chinese inclusion in the project with or without India.
Asked to comment on the remarks made by American Defence Secretary Robert Gate in Munich that Al-Qaeda presents grave threat to Pakistan, he said terrorism is a threat to entire humanity and Pakistan is not an exception.
The spokesman said Pakistan would be hosting third Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad on 26th and 27th of next month.
A business conference will also be organized jointly by Board of Investment and Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry in association with Afghanistan Investment Support Agency.
The Islamabad conference is likely to be attended by more than 300 participants from 20 regional countries, G-8 states and international and regional organizations like World Bank, UN, Asian Development Bank, ECO and SCO.
Replying to questions Mr. Sadiq said the President has issued instructions to redouble efforts to locate and recover Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin who went missing in Khyber Agency on Monday during journey from Peshawar to Kabul.
He said not only Pakistan but also diplomats of other countries have also been using the land route for travel between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The ambassador had the same level of security as was the standard practice.
He told newsmen that over one thousand international observers and media-men would be coming to Pakistan to monitor general elections.
These include among others Senator John Kerry of the United States , members of the British Parliament, Democracy Institute, SAFMA and Pakistan-American Leadership Centre. He said the International Republic Institute withdrew on security concerns but has been replaced by the Democracy Institute.
The spokesman said an Election Information Cell has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist the international elections observers from 16th to 19th of this month.