Qureshi to India: Don’t destroy regional peace for domestic politics

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday called upon Indian government not to destroy peace in region for political gains locally.

Addressing a press conference at Multan Circuit House here, he asked Narendra Modi to avoid destroying peace at the cost of frivolous election point scoring. “Indian rulers should not look for peace in the region in politics and stop mean campaign of blaming Pakistan for his internal terrorism”, the foreign minister said.

To a question about Saudi Arabia aid and relations with Iran, Qureshi said Saudi Arabia had given $20 billion package to Pakistan, but that did not mean that Pakistan would act against Iran, a most reliable and old friend of the country.

When he was asked what Pakistan would do for Saudi Arabia in exchange for its $20 billion financial package, he said, “Pakistan is not Yemen, and this perception is quite wrong that Pakistan will involve in any adventurism against Iran.

“No, we are not indulging against Iran at any level at any cost,” Qureshi categorically said. The foreign minister said Pakistan is a friend of Saudi Arab and Iran and the country always remained neutral in the past. He offered Pakistan could bridge the gap between Saudi Arab and Iran by playing a role of mediator bringing both the countries closer to each other.

He said Pakistan had discussed massive human rights violations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Sulman and briefed him about Pulwama incident. The prince assured that he would be ambassador to Pakistan in resolution of Kashmir conflict.

About Pulwama terrorism incident, the foreign minister said that Modi government was using mean political tactics in the name of Pulwama incident for political point scoring and exploiting Indian public sentiments against Pakistan. The Indian plot exposed when India started targeting Pakistan without investigation soon after the occurrence of Pulwama incident. The suicide bomber was Indian national and resident of Kashmir. India has manoeuvred a frenzy environment to exploit it against Pakistan to secure maximum vote bank for Modi party.

The foreign minister said that Indian rulers were promoting violence in Kashmir to crush freedom movement. Pakistan is a peaceful country with clear vision, priorities and the PTI government believed in resolution of conflicts through dialogues, and Pakistan had exercised the same practice in resolution of Afghan conflict. Pakistan is very much clear that armed conflict is not the solution to resolution of affairs. On the other hand India was destroying Kashmir conflict due to his adventurism. Hundreds of innocent people killed in Kashmir due to Indian barbaric adventurism. The life and properties of Kashmiris are not safe at the hands of Indian security forces.

The FM warned in respond to Indian threats of surgical strike, he said Pakistan would not spare India and fully retaliates in more aggressive way than India. The Indian politicians were using strong language against Pakistan in election public meeting and burning effigies of Pakistan.

He said that not a single effigy of Indian rulers burnt in Pakistan till the date but they were retaliating negatively against Pakistan to exploit Indian vote bank and promoting retaliation.

The India has threatened Indus Water Treaty, which has no relevance in present blame game but India has determined destroying regional peace at the cost of political targets and point scoring.

The foreign minister explained Pakistan’s counter strategy and said that foreign office had written a letter to United Nations on Monday, requesting to play its role for peace. The UN report on massive rights violations has witnessed massacre of innocent people in Kashmir.

He said Pakistan had summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to Islamabad and he briefed about current situation in India. The foreign office was devising strategy in light of Prime Ministers’ vision. Pakistan has directed its foreign missions, ambassadors and instructed them briefing the governments in their respective countries on Pakistan’s stance in current situation. He said that he has convened a special session of former senior diplomats for consultation and getting their feedback on current Indian threats.

Responding to a query on Kulbhushan Jadhav, he said Pakistan’s legal experts have reached at international Court of Justice and presented point of view and the case fixed for next hearing on February 21. India has three key objectives in the case including acquit ably requital of Kulbhushan, his immediate release and his safe return to India. However, Pakistan would defend his case at the ICJ at any cost.