Talking to media in Tandojam area here, Qureshi said some foreign powers back such elements by giving them arms and funds so that they can keep the western borders of Pakistan hot,” he added. He noted that the situation was worsening in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the powers in question wanted to create distraction for Pakistan on the western borders.
He observed that the mismanagement of the covid-19 pandemic by India had caused a setback to their economy. The foreign minister added that Pakistan comparatively had been recognised to have managed the situation well. “The textile industry of Pakistan has received so many orders which the mills are unable to supply,” he said, adding, that no textile mills, looms or spindles were closed in Faisalabad at the moment.
According to him, the textile exports had stalled during the previous governments. He credited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government for the growth of housing and tourism sectors and said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has also provided the industrialisation package. Qureshi said the foreign investment had begun to grow in Pakistan and that the country’s exports were also being increased. The FM recalled that when the cricket team of New Zealand was scheduled to visit Pakistan a scare was spread and the team’s visit was cancelled.
He added that in that regard he presented the statistics and proofs at a press conference at the foreign office besides handing over dossiers to the Secretary General of the United Nations, President of the Security Council and their foreign ministers.
Replying to another query, he said 900,000 Indian army was stationed in IIOJK and that there were also the so-called special laws and extra judicial killings were happening as well.
“The occupying forces take away young men and after some days their bodies are found. There were also mass graves. All these are tactics through which they have suppressed the people,” he added. He asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to Muzaffarabad and present his case to the people. In return, he said, Modi should allow prime Minister Imran Khan to go to Srinagar and present his case before the people there. “Then let the people to judge who is right and who wins,” he stated.
He apprised that he had written 23 letters to SC of UN and President of SC over the Kashmir issue besides organized debated in the UN thrice since August, 2019, annexation of IoK by India. Qureshi said no other leader of Pakistan had fought the case of Kashmir more eagerly in recent history than Prime Minister Imran Khan. He asked the people to take up speeches of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and compare them with Khan’s speeches to find out which of the two leaders mentioned the Kashmir issue more times. Commenting on creation of a new province in Punjab, he said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was deceiving the people to whom he promised that he would create South Punjab province. He told that some time ago he wrote a letter to Bilawal and asked him to join hands with the PTI government to address the issue of South Punjab but the PPP leader did not even bother to reply. He said the PTI swept 2018 polls in southern Punjab but the PPP could only secure 4 seats. Qureshi credited the PTI government for having taken practical steps in the direction of materializing its promises with the people of South Punjab.
The foreign minister elaborated that as part of the administrative actions taken by the PTI government, the secretariats of bureaucracy had been established in Multan and Bahawalpur.
He added that the separate rules of business had been formed and additional Chief Secretaries and additional IGs had been posted there.
According to him, the secretaries of 16 different departments including education, health and other public service oriented departments had been posted in Multan and Bahawalpur.
The region had been provided separate development funds which could not be utilized in any other part of Punjab, he said.
He said that the PM was planning to provide a fixed employment quota to the youth of South Punjab. Qureshi asked the PPP leadership to tell the nation what special measures had they taken to serve the people of Sindh which they were ruling for a third consecutive term since 2008.