MULTAN - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi categorically declared on Saturday that PTI had no role in the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif, saying NAB was an impartial institution which arrested the PML-N leader after thorough investigation.

Addressing a news conference here, he added that the corruption cases against Shehbaz Sharif were not started by the PTI.

He asserted the courts and NAB worked independently and impartially, adding the PTI had no hand in Shehbaz's arrest.

He said both Pakistan and India had no other option than dialogue for peace and restoration of human rights in the region.

"Although meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was fixed at UNO, they fled just ahead of it. India is parrying," he maintained.

He said Pak-India dialogue was suspended since 2015 and Pakistan had always desired to restore it. He added Pakistan wanted to resolve all issues with India through talks.

He said issues like poverty, ignorance and water were important for Pakistan and it was unfortunate that Pakistan did not have dams.

He regretted former many governments did not bother to construct dams as a result of which the country was faced with serious water shortage.

He said the ongoing war against terror during the last 17 years shattered Pakistan's economy. He said he presented Pakistan's stance at UN platform in a very forthright manner and tried to end tension in Pak-US ties.

He said he had made efforts to make the US realise that bilateral ties were in the interest of both the countries. He said he asked the US not to see Pakistan from Indian binoculars and Afghan eyes, telling them that we had relations with them for the last seven decades.

Qureshi said thaw in frozen US-Pakistan relations would take some time and we were striving to achieve this goal.

He said he told the US that Pakistan rendered tremendous sacrifices in war against terror and the motive behind his US visit was not to get any funds or aid.

He said no discussion on Coalition Support Fund was held during his visit, adding this fund was not aid but reimbursement of funds spent by Pakistan on war against terror.

He said the government's foreign policy was beyond party lines rather it was carved in light of national interest. "That's why my speech at the UN was appreciated by members of all parties," he added.

He said the US was criticising Pakistan for the last two years and he took benefit of his meeting with American secretary of state and clearly presented Pakistan's viewpoint.

"We cannot bring stars from the sky but we'll continue our efforts for improvement in bilateral relations," he declared.

He disclosed that human rights commissioner prepared a report on Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir after thorough research and this report was presented at UN platform with solid proofs.

He said the report supported Pakistan's stance on Kashmir. He said he mentioned the said report in his special sitting with the UN secretary general and speech and demanded the UN to set up a commission to investigate into Indian atrocities in Kashmir.

He said the Kashmir issue was an old dispute but his recent speech at the UN and human rights commissioner's report changed the nature of the case.

"It is now a proven fact that human rights violations are being committed in Kashmir and Kashmiris' right of self-determination is being crushed with an iron hand," he added.

He said the UN failed to implement its resolutions on Kashmir and this institution needed reforms.

He said more international issues like Palestine would be resolved if transparency at the UN was improved.

To a query, he said it was sad that the Muslim Ummah was split and lacked consensus on many issues due to multiple reasons.

"However, Pakistan achieved big success in OIC meeting on the issue of blasphemous sketches," he added.

He said it had become very difficult to convince Muslim countries to accept Pakistan's stance on Kashmir but it was for the first time that Kashmir was flashed due to our efforts.

"We have a very simple demand that the time has come to table Kashmir issue at the UN and the UN should implement its resolutions on Kashmir," he demanded.

Answering another question, he said Pakistan offered to open Kartarpur border to facilitate Sikhs in performing their religious rituals.

He said Pakistan wanted to develop ties with India on the basis of equality and these ties are meant to promote peace and not personal business.

"Our agenda is to discuss issues of national interest and it is our foreign policy," he added.

Responding to another question on US President's recent statement on Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan had its own issues and we did not want to plunge ourselves in others' issues.

He said let Saudi Arabia and Iran sort out their issues themselves.