Indian response awaited on Siachen pullout: FO
says nuclear reactors working under IAEA safeguards - US monitors on Afghan border denied
By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan has said that it has given proposals for the resolution of Siachen issue and waiting for the Indian answer to the proposals. Foreign office Spokesperson, Tasnim Aslam said while addressing a weekly press briefing here on Monday.
She said that Pakistan had handed over the proposals to India at Indo-Pak foreign secretary level talks held in New Delhi on November 14 and 15 for the resolution of Siachen issue. She clarified that all the civil nuclear reactors of Pakistan are under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency; while, the reactor at Chashma 2 Power Plant and its fuel would always remain under the supervision.
Denying the news regarding international monitoring over Pak-Afghan border, she said that US monitors have not been appointed on this border. Responding a query, the Spokesperson said that to meet the ever-increasing demands of energy, Pakistan is in touch with the nuclear Suppliers group.
She also verified the presence of Pakistanis in Sri Lankan jails; adding, “however, some of them have been accused of smuggling of illegal drug.” She said that Pakistani High Commission officials are in contact with Sri Lankan officials for the release of these Pakistanis. Pakistan and the United States of America will enter a high level meeting on education under their strategic dialogue on Wednesday in Washington to promote cooperation and to improve quality of education in Pakistan. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told reporters in the weekly briefing that the dialogue between the two countries was agreed during the visit of US President George Bush in March this year.
Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi will lead Pakistan while US Secretary of Education Ms. Margaret Spelling will lead the US side. The meeting will increase cooperation in education to improve its quality, lead to exchange of students, scholars and faculty members, besides research and development.
To a question, she said, the Pak-US dialogue has been established with a view to promote cooperation in various areas and almost all concerned groups have had meetings that showed some progress. She said under the Pak-US dialogue, the second round of talks of this group was postponed and the new schedule was being worked out.
To a question regarding agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency for civil nuclear power plants, she said a standard agreement on safeguards with the agency has been signed by Pakistan for Chashma nuclear plant units I, II, III and IV, and covers almost all civil nuclear reactors around the world. She said there are about 420 nuclear power reactors in the world that were working under the IAEA safeguards.