ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday said that no action against minorities will be tolerated by the government.

Speaking to journalists here, Qureshi condemned the incident of burning of a Hindu saint shrine by a mob in Karak. The FM said that the Chief Justice had taken its notice of the incident. “It is an irresponsible act and an attempt to damage Pakistan’s image at international level. All the minorities enjoy equal status in Pakistan. We will not tolerate any action against the minorities by any group,” he added.

To a question, he said that Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir and Palestine issues was very clear, and the stance of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on these issues was a guiding principle for the Pakistanis.

The FM, who is also the Vice Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf urged the Opposition parties alliance to hold dialogue with government on the forum of the Parliament keeping aside their agenda of escape from the accountability process.

“The government is ready for dialogue with Opposition.  They should come to discuss the national issues,” he said.  Qureshi said there would be nothing constructive happened in Pakistan Democratic Movement’s meeting at Jati Umra.

“The PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) is being represented by Raja Parvez Ashraf and Yousaf Raza Gilani who were not in favour of resignations from assemblies in the past,” he pointed out.

Says govt ready for dialogue with Opposition

The FM said both were respectful senior politicians but they were not having authority to take any decision. “The real decision power in the PPP is with Asif Ali Zardari,” he said.

He said that PPP Central Executive Committee had decided that the party will take part in the upcoming by-elections and the Senate elections. He said that PPP CEC also decided that it will not tender resignations from assemblies.

“The PPP has also not decided any date for long march. The PDM had earlier decided that their parliamentarians would submit their resignations to PDM President Maulana Fazal Rehman by December 31, but PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari opposed it, arguing that the resignations should rather be submitted to the heads of the parties,” he added.

Qureshi said this was enough proof of lack of confidence within the alliance. He said they had given new deadline of January 31 which would also come and go like previous one.

He said the PPP’s majority leadership was against resignations from the assemblies and they were not ready to quit from Sindh government.

He categorically said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would not resign at all as he was enjoying mandate of the people. He said the Opposition alliance was unnatural and they should stop to make fun with nation and should show seriousness. He said that PDM parties had serious differences and did were not agree with each others’ viewpoint.

Qureshi said the ‘National Reconciliation Ordinance’ is a way of escape from the accountability process. He said opposition was exposed during the Financial Action Task Force legislation meeting, adding they demanded 34 amendments. 

He said voices were raised from within the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) against the narrative of its chief, adding, that his senior friends in the party showed reservations on it.

The FM said that a rally was being planned by the Opposition in Karachi on ‘Na-Manzoor Israel (Israel not acceptable),’ but nobody in Pakistan has ever recognized Israel.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was not ready at all for NRO as the PTI-led government was in favour of accountability process.