No foreign help sought to recover envoy: FO
By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

ISLAMABAD—Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Sadiq has said kidnapped Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan has not been recovered so far adding Pakistan needs no help from any other country on this count.
“We could not find any clue about the kidnapped Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan. We hope he will be safe and quite well. President Musharraf and higher authorities have issued directives for seeking his immediate recovery”, he said this during weekly press briefing here Wednesday.
“Government has come to know through media reports about the demand for release of Dadullah Mansoor in return for release of Pakistani ambassador, he told. Full security was provided to Pakistani ambassador. During the last 29 years all Pakistani ambassadors in Afghanistan used to proceed to Kabul by road via Torkhum. The ambassadors of other countries also adopted this route while going to Afghanistan. .Hectic efforts are underway to secure his release”, he underscored.
“We will welcome if China joins Iran, Pakistan, India gas pipeline project”, he said adding India has not talked about its isolation from this project so far. Pakistan has no objection over the agreement reached between Russia and India, he held and cautioned such pacts will add to our concern if they escalate arms race in South Asia.
He informed over 559 foreign observers will come to Pakistan to monitor the elections. Foreign media men in equal number will also come to Pakistan for election coverage. Election Information Cell is being set up in foreign office to facilitate the foreign observers and it will work from Jan 16-19. These observers include former US presidential election candidate John Kerry , members of British parliament and some renowned US observers.
Afghanistan is our close friendly country, he said adding “ we are striving for development of Afghanistan and uplift of its people as vibrant and strong Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan. To a question with regard to statement of US secretary of defence he said terrorism is not only Pakistan specific issue but it is a global issue. Pakistan on Wednesday said its missing ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin is still alive and efforts are being made to find him. “I cannot confirm that Taliban are holding the envoy and had demanded that a senior militant commander captured recently, be released in exchange,” said the Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq in his weekly briefing.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin was heading to the Afghan capital Kabul with his driver and security guard when he disappeared in the Khyber tribal district bordering Afghanistan on Monday. The spokesman only confirmed that Azizuddin is missing adding that efforts are being made to recover him. “I am sure he is alive,” spokesman added. He said no one had so far claimed responsibility for abduction and dismissed a report that Taliban militants

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