ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has emphatically stated that Pakistan will continue to sensitize the world about unspeakable sufferings of the people in occupied Kashmir and the Indian atrocities there.
He was addressing a seminar on foreign policy organized by PILDAT in Islamabad on Tuesday morning.
The Foreign Minister made it clear that Pakistan will not stay quiet on the dangerous situation prevailing in occupied Kashmir.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi noted that the greater challenge for us today is how to stand up to Hindutava ideology and add greater momentum to our moral, political and diplomatic support for the just struggle of Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination while preserving peace.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan has undertaken a diplomatic surge in the wake India’s unilateral actions and security lockdown in occupied Kashmir. He said Pakistan has acted with responsibility but with firm resolve that their actions are unacceptable. We downgraded diplomatic relations and suspended bilateral trade with India. Rail and bus services have also been stopped. He said we are reviewing other existing bilateral arrangements with India.
Voicing serious concerns over the current situation in occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Minister said the Indian brutality is cascading into a humanitarian disaster. He said the Indian actions have created a highly dangerous environment that could erupt any moment and engulf the entire region.
He said the international community including saner elements within India is speaking against Modi’s illegal steps in occupied Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister warned that India may resort to a false flag operation or a misadventure across the line of control to divert world attention from its atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi made it clear that Pakistan is ready to respond to any Indian aggression.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security resolutions and aspirations of Kashmiri people is part of our foreign policy. He said resolution of this festering dispute is imperative for regional peace and stability.
Turning to Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister said there is hope of breakthrough in parleys between Afghan Taliban and the United States. He said the world is convinced of the wisdom of the prime minister’s conviction that there is no military solution to Afghanistan and that dialogue and reconciliation efforts are the only way forward. He said Pakistan will continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process as part of shared responsibility.
About Pakistan-China relations, the Foreign Minister said their relationship is an anchor for regional stability. He said the CPEC holds the prospects of transforming Pakistan and the entire region. He said our task is to promote inherent merits of the corridor and the benefits it will accrue.
