Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD:– Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said “unnecessary” US sanctions on missile programme will not affect Pakistan’s defence or its decisions.She clearly stated that Pakistan’s security decisions will be made by the Pakistani nation and no external pressure will influence them. She termed the US sanctions imposed unnecessary and unjust, adding that these actions could not weaken Pakistan’s defence position.She recalled that Pakistan has faced various sanctions in the past but has always focused on its security. The US has no reason to be concerned about the missile program of the country, she added.Baloch highlighted that it was India which started the arms race in the region. She urged the sorld powers should take strict measures against India to stop it.In response to the European Union’s concerns regarding sentences awarded to civilians by military courts, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan’s constitution and courts have the full capacity to address internal matters.“The Pakistani nation knows how to resolve its internal issues, and there is no need for any external interference in it,” she said.Earlier, the European Union also criticised these verdicts, calling them unjust and against the ICCPR.The EU spokesperson highlighted that under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, have voluntarily committed to effectively implementing 27 core international conventions, including the ICCPR, to retain their GSP+ status.Separately, at a press conference in Peshawar, PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram echoed these concerns, stating that military trials violate both international and domestic laws.He emphasised that the EU spokesperson’s concerns are “serious” and align with the PTI’s stance, expressed immediately after the news broke.On Dec 20, Pakistan’s military courts sentenced 25 individuals involved in the May 9 events to 2–10 years of rigorous imprisonment for actions against state institutions.
