Pakistan wants to live in peace with all its neighbours: FM

DUBAI: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said that Pakistan wanted to live in peace with all its neighbours, including India, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking at a press conference here, he clarified that he had no meeting scheduled with the Foreign Minister of India Subramaniyan Jaishankar, who was also present in the UAE.

The foreign minister said both India and Pakistan would have to think about their bilateral ties. Pakistan never evaded talks and wanted to live in peace with all its neighbours including India, he stressed.

The foreign minister said Pakistan was ready to talk with India if it took back its steps of August 5, adding, Pakistan could not ignore the Kashmir issue.

The development came after it was revealed the Gulf nation has been mediating between the neighbours. “Good to be in the #UAE,” Qureshi tweeted late Saturday, after announcing a three-day trip which ends Monday. His Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Sunday, a spokesman for New Delhi’s ministry of external affairs tweeted.

In the news conference, Qureshi said he would hold a meeting with the foreign minister of UAE on Monday (today). An event would be organised by Pakistan in Sharjah in October this year to showcase the hidden treasures of Pakistan. At the event, professionals among the Pakistani community in UAE would be invited, he said.

The event would highlight the role played by the Pakistani community in the progress and prosperity of UAE, he said adding he would invite Prime Minister Imran Khan to the event. Qureshi said Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates were making an effort to organise different programmes at the completion of the 50 years of brotherly diplomatic relations, he informed. He said he visited the venue of expo 2020 and was impressed with the facilities offered there. The events at expo 2020 would coincide with the National Day of the United Arab Emirates, he said.

He said the government wanted to give the right to vote to the overseas Pakistanis and it was consulting with other political parties on the issue. “We want that overseas Pakistanis should have a role in Pakistani politics and policy making.”