No talks with India till August 5 actions revoked: Shah Mehmoood Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that Pakistan has conditioned talks with India with withdrawal India’s actions of August 5, 2019 illegally annexing the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Indian leadership is very upset and we have received many messages from Prime Minister Modi that he wants talks with Pakistani leadership but we have told him we will not talk unless you take back the August 5, 2019 actions,” Qureshi speaking at a joint sitting of the parliament said.

He pointed out that therewere many opportunities of talks with India but Pakistan stayed away. “We, however, are defeating India due to our narrative,” he said adding that India was searching for opportunity to level allegations of infiltration on Pakistan.

The foreign minister made it clear that the incumbent Pakistan government would neither allow Modi to come to Pakistan without visa nor it would send gifts of ‘Saris’ to them and there would also be no trade with India. “Listen Modi you will not come Pakistan without visa. You will not receive Saris from us and there will be no trade with you,” the foreign minister said.

He called upon the opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif and the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to give their proposals on Kashmir saying the government would give a practical shape to proposals, which could be implemented. “Otherwise you can go ahead with political point scoring,” he said.

Responding to complaint from Shahbaz Sharif for not inviting to Kashmir Conference, he said he had given written invitations to Shahbaz and Bilawal Bhutto and was still ready to brief them on Kashmir policy. “I even offered that I am ready to come to the opposition’s chamber,” he said.

He said Pakistan did not remain silent following August 5, 2019 adding that Modi’s decision had isolated India in the community of world. “Today their ex-foreign minister is also saying that Modi government’s foreign policy had failed.

He said that Pakistan was defeating India on every political front saying that he himself talked to 40 foreign ministers following India’s action during lockdown due to COVID-19. He observed that it was the Indian opposition, which was accusing the Modi government of Hinduvata thought.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi apprised Parliament that the government took two decisions on Thursday that there should be complete harmony between the civilian and military leadership. “We formed an apex committee in which the military leadership has also been included,” he said.

Foreign Minister observed that the opposition has rightly pointed out that war is not an option. “India also wants us to take emotional decisions so that it could put blame of terrorism on us,” Qureshi said adding that Pak Army also have to take care while responding to ceasefire violations from India as there were Kashmiri brothers living across the LoC.

He said while giving befitting response to Indian forces, the Pakistan troops only targets adversary’s check posts. As the opposition members protested against lengthy speech of the Foreign Minister, he said if he was not allowed, the others could also not speak.

The Senate chairman silenced Senator Mushahidullah of PML-N when he protested against prolonged speech of the foreign minister. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that resolutions passed by the Senate and National Assembly also gave categorical message to the world. “There was no ‘Lafazi’ in the resolution while it gives categorical message,” he said.

He said the world would also see that Line of Control would end like the Berlin wall razed and Germany got united. He said it was due to efforts of Pakistan that the Kashmir issue was discussed thrice in the UN Security Council in a period of one year saying that China also supported Pakistan in this regard otherwise one of five permanent members could have used right of veto.

He thanked the opposition parties for showing flexibility in passage of FATF bills saying that FATF at its last meeting praised efforts of Pakistan otherwise India wanted to push Pakistan to the blacklist. He acknowledged that the opposition support FATF legislation for Pakistan and not for the government.

Responding to an earlier speech of the opposition leader, the foreign minister said the government did not steamroll the Mutual Assistance Bill saying that consultation with the opposition on the same continued till 3 am last night. “ We did not impose our decisions on the opposition,” he said.