Saudis neither stopped oil supply nor asked to return loans: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Monday categorically said there were no tensions between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and all speculations in this regard had been conjured by the media.

“Saudi Arabia has neither asked Islamabad to return its loan nor has it suspended oil supply to Pakistan. The Kingdom has not changed its stance on Kashmir and we are on the same page a far as recognition of Israel is concerned,” he added.

Reports about strained bilateral ties had started when Qureshi in a television interview said if the Saudi-led OIC did not convene a special session of foreign ministers on Kashmir, then Pakistan was ready to look for other options.

He once again rejected reports that Saudi Arabia had demanded return of $1 billion loan. Responding to a question, he told a journalist, "Your question is based on an assumption. These are speculations. No decision like that was taken."

On a lighter vein, he added, "If you don't speculate, how will you run your shop? At the end of the day, you have to report something. We don't want your shop to close; it should be more vibrant and I will try to make it so, don't worry."

Qureshi said even on future relations with Israel, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were on one page and was under no pressure to recognise Israel. "Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a clear statement on this in accordance with Quaid-i-Azam's stance. We will not come under any international pressure," he said.

"You can see that though they took some time, Saudi Arabia took a similar stance and I am sure most of the Muslim Ummah shares this position." The foreign minister said bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia was not a new thing.

“It is people-centric, it's not just between governments. So if I have a relationship with you, I will also have expectations. If we do not have any relationship, why would we have expectations? So, on Kashmir, Pakistanis have a clear stance and have expectations from our friends which we keep expressing and will continue to do so,” he added.

Qureshi said there was no change in the stance of Saudi Arabia onKashmir. "There is no ambiguity but absolute clarity. I am telling you this clearly, there is no change in Saudi Arabia's stance on Kashmir. And OIC's stance is before you; now we have to decide how we will take this forward,” he said.

Giving details of his recent visit to Beijing, the foreign minister said Chinese President Xi Jinping was keen to visit Pakistan and his visit had provided him with an opportunity to discuss the visit.

"President Xi is very keen to come. Both sides understand that his visit will be of an extraordinary nature. For that, there is a need to understand the flux in the regional and international situation and also to prepare before his trip,” he explained.

Together with the Covid-19 situation and other developments, the coming days would confirm a date for the visit. Qureshi said India was also an important issue and discussions about the recent situation on the China-India border were held.

"I can tell you that I didn't see any hesitation, China’s stance is very clear," he said. The foreign minister shrugged aside a question asking how long the visiting Afghan Taliban will stay in Pakistan and who they would be meeting.

Qureshi said he would be meeting with them on Tuesday (today). However, he did not shed light on their meetings on Monday but said there were groups inside Afghanistan, which were trying to cause a rift.

Qureshi said Islamabad's role was only to facilitate the peace process adding that it's up to Afghans to decide the way forward. “The majority of Afghans believe the only way forward is through reconciliation but the decision to reconcile has to be taken by Afghans themselves,” Qureshi said.

At the outset, Qureshi went into great details about the recent joint statements by Kashmiri leaders in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) who had completely rejected the August 5 decision of the Delhi government, demanding that the Constitutional status of Kashmir should be reverted.

“There is now a political, peaceful uprising inside IOJ&K where we see leaders like Farooq Abdullah who always sided with India now demanding rights for the people of Kashmir. This is a new phenomena and a new movement from the valley”, said Qureshi.

Even independent INGOs like the Crisis Group had said that a mass resistance movement had started in the valley. The Taliban delegation, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, reached Pakistan on Monday, as efforts appear to be ramping up to get negotiations underway with the Afghan government.

“The delegation will discuss with Pakistan’s leaders the recent developments in Afghan peace process as well as relaxation and facilitation of people’s movement and trade between the two neighboring countries,” tweeted Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Taliban political office.

The visit comes a day after the Taliban chief announced a powerful negotiating team that includes nearly half of the Taliban leadership council and has the power to set agendas, decide strategy and even sign agreements with the Kabul government. That Taliban team is headed by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai.