Says regular annual mechanism of SCO plays important role in promoting economic coop.  Welcomes OIC statement on Kashmir.  Bangladesh an important partner for Pakistan.  Pak position on terror groups in Afghanistan clear.

ISLAMABAD   -  Pakistan yesterday reiterated the country’s stance on the Junagadh issue, decrying India’s illegal occupation of the region.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan’s policy statement regarding Junagadh — a city in India’s Gujarat that was annexed in 1948 — has always been clear.

“Junagadh was annexed to Pakistan. The country sees this matter in historical and legal perspective. Junagadh was a part of Pakistan and India’s illegal occupation of it is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international norms,” she stressed.

The spokesperson emphasised that Pakistan “has always been raising the Junagadh issue at political and diplomatic forums and wants a peaceful solution to it.”

“Pakistan also considers the Junagadh issue as an unfinished agenda like Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK),” she added.

She said that regular annual mechanism of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) plays an important role in promoting economic cooperation.

The spokesperson added Pakistan was preparing to host the 23rd Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activity (MMFETA) of the SCO member states on September 12, 2024, in Islamabad.

As the current chair of the SCO, she said, Pakistan has invited heads of ministries responsible for foreign economic and trade activities from all member states.

“This annual meeting plays a critical role in shaping the economic cooperation framework within the SCO, particularly by overseeing the implementation of multilateral trade agreements. Pakistan expects the meeting to contribute significantly to furthering regional economic stability and integration,” she said.

Last week, Baloch said, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi represented the country at the 50th Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

At the OIC forum, the Foreign Secretary emphasized Pakistan’s stance on various global challenges, including the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, rising Islamophobia, and the continuing dispute over Jammu and Kashmir.

She said Pakistan reiterated its commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue, consistent with United Nations Security Council resolutions, while also expressing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Council reaffirmed its consensus on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, underscoring that the final settlement, in line with UN Security Council resolutions, is crucial for lasting peace in South Asia,” she added.

To a question about negative statement by the Indian ministers on Kashmir, Pakistan believes the future of Jammu and Kashmir will be decided by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions that envisage a UN supervised plebiscite, held across Jammu and Kashmir.

“So unilateral statements, claiming that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been settled, are not based in reality and are against the basic tenets of international law and the UN Security Council resolutions,” she contended.

Baloch said: “We have said on multiple occasions that the future of Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have also said that the measures that India took in 2019 are a violation of these UN Security Council resolutions, and the international law and India must rescind its actions of fifth of August, 2019. So this is what we expect India with respect to the future of Jammu and Kashmir.”

She said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was on a visit to the United Kingdom. “Both countries are optimistic about deepening their partnership and furthering cooperation on key global issues, reinforcing the strategic importance of Pakistan-UK relations,” she said.

Baloch highlighted that the Deputy Prime Minister’s engagements have already included a productive meeting with David Lammy, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs.

During the meeting, both the sides reviewed the current state of bilateral relations and explored areas for further cooperation. Topics of mutual interest such as regional security, the role of the United Nations, and the future of Commonwealth cooperation were among the focal points of discussion, she elaborated.

She further said: “The meeting with Secretary Lammy underscored the importance of a strong Pakistan-UK partnership, with both sides agreeing to work towards advancing a wide-ranging bilateral agenda that aligns with their respective national interests.”

Senator Dar, she said, expressed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, and development.

As part of his official schedule, Senator Dar is also set to meet with Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK. “Both leaders are expected to engage in high-level talks to further cement diplomatic and economic ties, with a specific focus on regional peace, security, and the evolving geopolitical landscape,” she said.

The spokesperson condemned recent actions by Israeli forces in the West Bank. The attack on the city of Jenin and the surrounding refugee camps, which resulted in numerous casualties and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, was characterized by Pakistan as a gross violation of international law.

“The indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and further demonstrates contempt for basic principles of decency,” Baloch noted.

“Pakistan calls for an immediate cessation of these attacks and urges the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to play its role in holding Israel accountable for its war crimes and to protect the Palestinian people,” she said.

Baloch said Pakistan’s position with regards to the terror groups in Afghanistan is clear. “We have, on numerous occasions, presented evidence of the activities of these terror groups, which have hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, and the concerns of Afghan territory being used to foment terrorism against its neighbours is not just the concern of Pakistan,” she said.

She said recent reports of the United Nations also highlighted the activities of the terror groups inside Afghanistan. “We urge the government of Afghanistan to take action against these terror groups and to ensure that these terror groups do not stage terror attacks against Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

On Bangladesh, she said, Pakistan had always wished to have robust, multifaceted, friendly relations with Bangladesh, which was an important partner for Pakistan and a brotherly Muslim country.  

“There is an immense goodwill between the peoples of our two countries, and we want our bilateral relations to prosper. We believe that cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh will further contribute to enhancing peace and friendship in the region, and will also contribute to further development of SAARC as a robust institution,” she maintained.