ISLAMABAD - Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry yesterday said the recent Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa summit has a ‘rude awakening’ as New Delhi tried to isolate Pakistan.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs about the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly, he said India finds itself isolated after the BRICS summit as no country supported its stance on Kashmir.
He said all the states had supported Pakistan’s point of view on Kashmir and India’s human rights violations in the held territory.
The secretary said India cannot disturb Pakistan’s unity but sponsoring terror acts here and there using its agents.
“India’s propaganda is backfiring. They are not finding any supporters in the world,” he contended.
Chaudhry said the civil and military leadership was united on the Kashmir and other issues.
The secretary added: “We have made it clear to India that Pakistan wants peace but is ready for any challenge.”
He said Pakistan had been pressing India for dialogue for years but India always insists to hold talks on the issue of terrorism alone. “India claims Kashmir to be its internal matter while we have convinced the whole world that Kashmir is a dispute which needed solution,” he said.
He said Indian forces had killed dozens of Kashmiris in the ongoing wave of state terrorism.
Chaudhry said India was damaging its own reputation and standing just for the sake of animosity against Pakistan.
He said India had been instrumental in postponement of several South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summits including the one originally scheduled for November in Islamabad.
The secretary said India also threatened to walk out of the Indus Water Treaty ignoring the international laws.
Chaudhry said the Prime Minister addressed the General Assembly and other high level meetings during his UNGA visit.
He said the Prime Minister drew attention of the international community towards massive human rights violations and atrocities which the Indian occupation forces have been committing against the people of Kashmir.
He said Prime Minister Sharif also held sideline meetings with several world leaders and Secretary General of United Nations.
The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed satisfaction over the efforts of Foreign Office for highlighting the Kashmir issue at international level and especially lauded the visit of the Prime Minister to UN General Assembly and meetings held on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly Session.
Chairperson of the Committee Senator Nuzhat Sadiq observed the efforts of the Foreign Office were commendable and the recent arrangements made by the Foreign Ministry to highlight the issue of Kashmir at international level have received an overwhelming response and acknowledgement from the international community.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the special envoys deputed to highlight the atrocities being committed by India in the occupied Kashmir and said that this step had helped in building momentum at international level.
The Committee also emphasized the need for further boosting regional cooperation for the benefit of peoples of Asian region.
The Committee was given a detailed briefing on relations with South Asian Countries. It was informed that Pakistan desired to have strong mutual cooperation with South Asian Countries and intends to build on cooperation among South Asian nations. Pakistan continues to place its affiliation with SAARC at high esteem.
Senator Mushahid Hussain and Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq also informed the Committee about their recent visits to US and France as special envoys respectively.
The committee was attended by Senators Muhammad Daud Khan, Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Mushahid Hussain Syed Ayesha Raza Farooq, Karim Ahmed Khawaja and Farhatullah Babar. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present.
