Qureshi extends conditional talks offer to India

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said that Pakistan was ready to hold dialogue with India on all outstanding issues provided that New Delhi agreed to ease tensions in Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK).

Qureshi made the offer while talking to BBC, and stressed that Pakistan had always welcomed dialogue with India.

"Pakistan has never refused to negotiate, but India has never created the right atmosphere needed for dialogue," said the foreign minister. He added that Pakistan had no objection to bilateral talks.

"Pakistan has no objection to bilateral talks, and any third-party support or mediation will also be welcomed," remarked Qureshi. The statement from Qureshi follows a similar comment made by Prime Minister Imran Khan in an opinion piece for The New York Times on Friday. Imran Khan had on Friday said that talks would India could go ahead only if New Delhi agreed to reverse the illegal annexation of Kashmir.

Qureshi appeared to elaborate on the statement made by the premier, outlining that bilateral talks with India hinged on Delhi ending curfew in IHK, restoring human rights, and releasing detained Kashmiri leaders.

“In an environment where curfew is enforced, people are suffering from life and death, gang rapes are taking place, people are being held in captivity, I don’t see any negotiating environment,” said the minister.

Earlier in August, India had revoked the special constitutional autonomy of IHK and imposed a military curfew in the area following the decision. Thousands of Kashmiris have been detained since, and nearly 700,000 troops deployed to quash dissent. Allegations of torture and abuse of those detained by Indian security forces have been pouring in.

Qureshi ruled out war with India in his interview, saying that Pakistan had never adopted an aggressive foreign policy and always called for peaceful resolution of disputes. “The two neighbouring countries with nuclear weapons cannot afford the risk of war. People will be destroyed by war and the world will be affected by this as well,” elaborated Qureshi.

The minister also talked about Pakistan’s relations with the Gulf countries, other Muslim nations, and the United States in his interview, praising the role Pakistani allies have played to highlight the Kashmir cause on the international stage.

Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Saturday reaffirmed the internationally recognised status of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, contradicting the Indian government’s claim that the matter was a bilateral issue between it and Pakistan.

According to the statement by the OIC, the General Secretariat has been following with concern the developments in IHK that have occurred since India’s unilateral decision to revoke the special status of IHK.

“The General Secretariat reaffirms the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on the internationally recognised status of Jammu and Kashmir dispute and its final disposition through a UN-supervised plebiscite,” it said.

The OIC reiterated its solidarity with the people of IHK, recalling decisions taken at the OIC Summit and resolutions adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting. It called for the immediate lifting of the curfew, restoration of communication and the respect for the fundamental rights of Kashmiris.

Recognising the need for seeking a durable solution to the Kashmir issue according to UN Security Council resolutions, the OIC stressed the need for the resumption of dialogue process between Pakistan and India, which it termed as a prerequisite for development, peace and stability in South Asia.