US Charge d’Affaire Hoagland summoned by Pakistan’s Foreign Office over Balochistan; Pakistan Foreign Minister slated to meet Clinton; Prime Minister Gilani urges Taliban leaders and other Afghan insurgent groups to take part in a peace process
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    • According to reports, Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned US Charge d’Affaire Richard Hoagland on February 20 to protest against a resolution tabled in the House of Representatives for the right to self-determination for the people of Balochistan. This was the second time US Charge d’ Affaires Hoagland was summoned to the Foreign Office in seven days on the issue of Balochistan. “Ambassador Richard Hoagland, US Charge d’ Affaires, was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. A strong protest was lodged with him with regard to the tabling of a resolution on Balochistan in the US Congress,” an Pakistan’s Foreign Office statement said.1

    However, according to reports, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar urged Washington to establish a “predictable, transparent and sustainable” relationship ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to repair damaged ties. Khar said she would meet Clinton in London on February 23 where both are due to attend an international conference on Somalia, to try to heal a rift caused by a NATO air attack last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. 2

    In other developments, according to reports, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on February 24, 2012, urged Taliban leaders and other Afghan insurgent groups to take part in a peace process to end 10 years of war in neighbouring Afghanistan. “I would like to appeal to the Taliban leadership as well as to all other Afghan groups, including Hizb-e-Islami, to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid this week again invited the Taliban for direct talks with his government, urging Pakistan to facilitate negotiation efforts in Afghanistan, where US-led combat troops are due to leave by 2014. Reportedly, Taliban representatives have begun contacts with US officials in the Gulf state of Qatar designed to build confidence and pave the way for a prisoner exchange, but the militia has publicly refused to talk to Karzai’s government. 3

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