Pakistan ready for talks with India in whatever manner it chooses: FO

ISLAMABAD: As Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a decisive victory with two-thirds majority in the world’s largest elections, Pakistan has reiterated its readiness for talks with India in whatever manner it chooses.

Reports are surfacing from New Delhi that now the BJP has enough strength to amend the Constitution with worries that Article 370 and 35(A) could be removed from the Indian constitution.

Earlier, the Indian home minister had commented that removal of articles 370 and 35 (A) from the Indian constitution would resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The Article 370 embodied six special provisions for Jammu and Kashmir: It exempted the Indian-Held Kashmir from the complete applicability of the constitution of India. The IHK was allowed to have its own constitution. ... The Article 370 could be abrogated or amended only upon the recommendation of the IHK constituent assembly.

When the issue was raised at the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office, the spokesman said, “Pakistan opposes any move which violates the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. In principle, there cannot be any change in the status of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir until a UN administered plebiscite is held in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions”.

He added that India should stop misleading the international community and accept the ground realities and aspirations of the people of IHK, instead of continuing with its policy of obduracy in the territory.

“Pakistan has consistently maintained that the only way to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is through implementation of UNSC resolutions. Dialogue is hence essential. We remain committed to the same, irrespective of whoever forms the new government in India,” he said.

Several queries were raised about the informal meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the recent SCO meeting, but the spokesman shrugged it off saying that the minister himself would reply to this query.

Regarding your second question, Pakistan always supports dialogue and desires that all issues should be settled peacefully and through engagement by all sides. If required, Pakistan is ready to play a constructive and positive role in this regard.

On the issue of the visit of the Iranian foreign minister, the spokesman said that talks would be held today (Friday) with his Pakistani counterpart at the Foreign Office.

Commenting on the continuing tensions between Iran and the United States, the spokesman responded, “We believe the situation in the region is serious and needs to be addressed through dialogue by all parties. We expect all sides to show restraint, as any miscalculated move can transmute into a large-scale conflict.”

To a query on The Treaty on Transfer of Sentences Prisoners between Pakistan and China, the spokesman said Pakistan has completed its ratification process in early January, 2019 and conveyed it to Chinese side with request to complete its formalities.

“Chinese side has informed that they are completing internal process for ratification. The matter has been taken up with Chinese government a highest level for early ratification of the treaty. Government of Pakistan will continue to raise this issue in future as well with Chinese side at all levels,” he said.