Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir not weak: Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir has never been weak and the main problem it faces is the weak economy.

Qureshi said former judge of Indian supreme court Justice Markandey Katju has rightly said that India had sown seeds for large-scale guerrilla war in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) by stripping the territory of its special status.

Delivering the keynote address at the annual national conference titled ''Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya (RA) Teachings and Social Harmony'' here Thursday, the minister said that senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also portrayed a horrible picture of IOK on his return to India after staying there for six days.

He said India has imposed curfew and restrictions in IOK for the last two months, but it failed to shatter the courage of brave Kashmiris. He said that the Kashmir fight was a long fight; it was not a T20, but a Test match which could only be won by a team which had a holistic approach.

The minister said that the world is praising Pakistan’s narrative and the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, Telegraph, CNN, BBC and others were supporting Pakistan’s viewpoint. He said human rights organisations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which set the world’s narrative, are praising Pakistan’s approach.

Regarding recent visit of Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the United Nations, he said that they held 120 meetings with P5 global leaders and foreign ministers of different countries in seven-day stay and interacted with the media.

On Saudi-Iran tensions, he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump, Saudi crown prince, Iranian president and US secretary of state and tried to normalise the situation.

About Islamophobia, he said that it was unjust to link terrorism with Islam. "Does terrorism has a religion," he asked.

Shah Mehmood said that he was satisfied with his meeting with the Taliban delegation led by Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar in Islamabad and discussion about resumption of dialogue with the US.

About south Punjab youth job opportunities, he said that he would talk to Punjab chief minister about it.

“We have the relationship of religion and faith with our Kashmiri brethren and we all are followers of Sufi saints,” he said, adding that the Sufi saints built mosques but never demolished temples. He said the Sufi approach towards life is aimed at making society inclusive and following bringing the nation together.