MULTAN-Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has asked Indian government to protect the rights of Muslim minority living in India.
Talking to the media here at Eid prayer, the foreign minister said that although the Muslims were in minority in India yet they have rights. “Their rights should be protected,” he asserted. He said that Pakistan is an Islamic state which, as an Islamic state, offers complete protection to the minorities and offers them complete liberty to lead their lives according to their faiths. He said that we should remember the oppressed Muslims of occupied Kashmir, Palestine and especially the Muslims living in India on the occasion of Eid. “Millions of Muslims live in India and I greet them on the Eid,” he added. Qureshi regretted that the Muslims of Palestine are striving to get their rights while India is continuously subjecting the Muslims of Kashmir to oppression. The foreign minister said that we should raise voice for the Kashmiris. “The government of Pakistan stands with the Kashmiris and we’ll continue diplomatic and moral support to them,” he declared. He said that the current government is the first in national history which raised Kashmiris’ voice at international level and woke up world’s conscience. He said that today Kashmir issue has turned into an international issue from a regional one and now India could not mute Kashmiris.
He said that Pakistan is faced with serious challenges like extremism, internal and external threats even today and “we need to unite to cope with these challenges successfully.” “The nation needs unity today more than ever. The nation will have to support the government to cope with these challenges,” he asserted.
Referring to Eidul Fitr, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that today is the day to cut distances among hearts and bring them together. He said that we should make efforts to mitigate the sufferings of people and bring happiness to them. He said that we should remember our civilian and forces’ martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland. “Today what we need is to cut distances and develop unity in our ranks. We have to be prepared for any kind of challenge,” he emphasised.
He said that the country is in safe hands and the PTI government would take it into a new era of progress and prosperity. He said that the country has started moving in the direction of New Pakistan and the world would soon see it making progress.
He said that Pakistan wants peace in the region and aspires to maintain friendly relations with all countries on the basis of equality.