Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz defended Thursday’s talks with Israel as Muslim clerics denounced the shift in policy in fiery sermons during Friday prayers, but planned street protests fell flat. ‘‘There is no harm in having talks,’’ Aziz told the Lower House of the National Assembly, where Opposition Islamist legislators walked out in token protest. Talking to reporters during a stopover in Dubai on Friday, Foreign Minister Khurshid Ahmed Kasuri said the move would give Pakistan ‘‘diplomatic space’’. ‘‘We felt that withdrawal from Gaza was an important enough event for us to do something . to encourage this process,’’ he said. ‘‘Frankly (secret) contacts have been going on for decades, but we wanted to send a signal to the Israeli government and people that the assumption that Islamic countries cannot live in peace with the Jewish state is not correct, if Israel were to vacate occupied territory,’’ Kasuri said. Kasuri said Islamabad would recognise Israel if it reached a settlement with the Palestinians. However, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday this would only come after a Palestinian state was created. Kasuri rejected Palestinian criticism of the talks, including by Hamas, saying Pakistan had acted after consultation with Palestinian leaders and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace. Meanwhile, in what may be a fresh sign of Israel’s thawing relations with the Islamic world, Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot has reported that Israel secretly opened a low-level diplomatic office in Dubai, a historic move for two countries that have never had ties. Iran nuclear negotiator heads for Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Iran’s top nuclear negotiator is due to visit Pakistan soon, as part of Tehran’s effort to head off sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ali Larijani would arrive in Islamabad on Sunday evening or Monday morning. He is likely to discuss Iran’s talks with the IAEA and the EU on Iran’s nuclear cycle. REUTERS
