Sindh may oppose S Punjab province: Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday that Sindh may oppose establishment of South Punjab province.

The FM was speaking to media in Multan where he said that the Afghan Taliban should resort to peaceful ways and Pakistan wants to assist all the parties in Afghan peace process. He said that during US envoy Khalilzad’s recent visit to Pakistan, constructive talks were held. He said even Afghan government that was earlier not willing to sit with the Taliban, has now also reviewed its decision. He said meetings have been held between representatives of Afghan government and Taliban in Qatar in recent days to work out a solution to the conflict.

Shah Mehmood said when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came into power, the ties with the US were strained, but now it is reiterating the stance of Prime Minister Imran Khan and him. On the issue of economy, he said that Pakistan always had financially challenging times and to blame it on the three-month-old government is unfair.

Qureshi said that the entire nation is united on the issue of Kashmir and it was conveyed to the United Nations as well, adding that next year a function will be held in London to discuss the Kashmir issue. It emerged last week that the US President Donald Trump had written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking Pakistan’s assistance in the Afghan peace process. Imran Khan, in a meeting with TV anchors and reporters in the federal capital, informed that he has received a letter from the US president. In the letter, Trump had asked Pakistan to play its role in Afghan peace talks which were aimed at catalysing an end to the 17-year invasion of Afghanistan by US troops.

The prime minister said Trump had sought Pakistan’s assistance in bringing the Taliban leadership to the negotiating table. The minister said the tribal areas have been given more funds than its share to bring it on par with developed areas of the country. He said that development projects were underway while sports and cultural activities were being promoted in tribal areas.