Pakistan withdraws embassy staff from Syria

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan says it has withdrawn its diplomats, including the ambassador, from Syria because of the deteriorating situation there.

“We have not closed our embassy. Once the security situation improves, they will go back. Regarding our policy on Syria, we are concerned about the security situation in Syria and are also concerned about the killing of innocent people in Syria and hope that the issue will be resolved through peacefulmeans”, said the spokesman of the Foreign Office here Thursday.

He said Pakistan is concerned about the deteriorating situation in Syria and loss of civilian lives, and has called upon all parties to resolve this issue as urgently as possible through peaceful means.

On western countries’ recognising the opposition parties, he said it is their decision. Meanwhile, President Hamid Karzai has backed down after earlier blaming Pakistan for the assassination attempt on Asadullah Khalid, head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, and has now agreed to a joint investigation with Pakistan into the attack, as suggested earlier by Islamabad.

Agencies add: Replying to a question, the spokesman said the proposed visit of President Zardari to Iran was not cancelled due to any pressure. He however said President Zardari would visit Iran on a mutually acceptable date, which is being finalised through diplomatic sources.About the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, he said, Pakistan is serious about this important project to resolve its energy crisis.

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