MULTAN/ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Sunday that Pakistan wants to establish friendly relations with its neighbors as per its foreign policy.
While talking to reporters in Multan, he said Pakistan will establish good relations with the new USA administration. The Foreign Minister said the world and region have changed in these four years and lot of changes has also occurred in Pakistan.
He said the new US administration will soon realise that India has changed under Modi now and it is no more a democratic country. He said voices are also being raised in this regard inside India.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Kashmiris are facing Indian brutalities in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir while minorities are finding themselves unsafe in India. He said there is a harmony between Joe Boden and Pakistan government’s policies as they are similar to each other.
The Foreign Minister said Joe Biden government wants reduction in violence in Afghanistan while Pakistan also fully supports democracy in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan’s stance regarding Palestine issue is clear as Pakistan will not recognise Israel until a peaceful solution of Palestine issue.
‘Elected PM’
Qureshi said the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) would defeat Pakistan Democratic Movement, in case, it would table no-confidence move, as proposed by Chairman Pakistan Peoples’ Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
He said Bilawal Bhutto acknowledged the democratically elected government by extending proposal of tabling no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Now, Bilawal should shun term “selected” and, call elected PM. ‘No Confidence Motion’ is part of constitution, he said adding, now Bilawal admitted the democratically elected government.
Now, Bilawal should call ‘elected PM’
Qureshi also maintained that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) lacked unity and similarly, the un-natural alliance had been collapsed. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has also been divided into groups.
Responding to a question about Justice (Retd) Azmat Saeed as Chairman Broadsheet Probe Committee, Qureshi remarked that opposition would not agree on any name. He, however added, if opposition has “clean hands” then it should not worry.
PTI government has no relation to Broadsheet agreement or its suspension, said Qureshi. He however added that PM Imran Khan wanted inquiry to make things clear.
About submission of party asset details with Election Commission, Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that PTI had handed over list of 40,000 donors. Now, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should also submit details of donors, Qureshi observed. It was first time in country that Prime Minister Imran Khan introduced political fund raising, he said.
‘Taliban deal’
He said the peace deal between the US and the Afghan Taliban is the road to stability. Qureshi said the new US administration was not expected to change the Afghan policy. “We will take the peace process forward together. It is road to stability,” the FM told The Nation.
The Biden administration has said it will review a landmark US deal with the Taliban, focusing on whether the group had reduced attacks in Afghanistan, in keeping with its side of the agreement.
Washington struck a deal with the Taliban in Qatar last year, to begin withdrawing its troops in return for security guarantees from the militants and a commitment to kick start peace talks with the Afghan government. But violence across Afghanistan has surged despite the two sides engaging in those talks since September.
President Joe Biden’s newly appointed national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, spoke with his Afghan counterpart Hamdullah Mohib and “made clear the United States’ intention to review” the deal, said National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne.
Specifically, Washington wants to check that the Taliban are “living up to their commitments to cut ties with terrorist groups, to reduce violence in Afghanistan, and to engage in meaningful negotiations with the Afghan government and other stakeholders,” her statement continued.
FM Qureshi said that Pakistan and United States had the same policy on Afghanistan as both the countries wanted peace in the war-torn country. “Pakistan believed that there was no military solution of Afghanistan issue. Pakistan in its meetings with different United States delegations always supported dialogue process for restoration of peace in Afghanistan,” he said.
The FM added: “Reduction in violence leads to ceasefire.” He said he wrote a letter to the new US secretary of state and apprised him about different developments on the regional circumstances.
Foreign Minister Qureshi maintained the relationships between Pakistan and new administration of US would improve further. Qureshi said that now, Pakistan was shifting from geo strategic to geo economic position.
“Things have changed at global level within last four years, he said adding, now, India could not present its so-called secular face because in the current circumstances it was heading towards Hindutva state,” he said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed the hope that Pakistan’s relations with the new US administration will flourish in the days to come.
He said Pakistan performed amicable role amid difficult circumstances for peace process in Afghanistan.
Qureshi wished the new US administration would continue push forward the developments on Afghan peace process.
Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the US had acknowledged Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace.
“If you look at the statement of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, he appreciated Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process. He clearly stated that if confirmed, he will encourage a regional approach having support from neighboring countries like Pakistan. Additionally, he also stated that he will “focus on our shared interests which include training future Pakistan military leaders through the use of International Military Education and Training funds,” the spokesperson said. He added: “We look forward to working with the new US Administration.”
Former ambassador Najam-ud-Din Sheikh said Joe Biden was an experienced and seasonal politician.
“He (Biden) has great knowledge of the South Asian political atmosphere. Joe Biden realizes the importance of peace in South Asia and understands the fact that any confrontation between two nuclear states can bring catastrophic consequences,” he said.
Sheikh said Joe Biden administration was also concerned with the worst human rights violations in Kashmir.
“It is hoped that the new government in Washington would convince India to resolve all the issues with Pakistan through negotiations,” he said.