Important issues

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was recently interviewed by a foreign journalist who asked him about a specific incident where PM Imran Khan called Osama Bin Ladin (OBL) a martyr. The FM said that the PM was quoted out of context and that “a particular section of the media paired it up”. The interviewer then asked whether OBL was a martyr. The FM remained silent for a while and then said that he “will let it pass”. This was the perfect opportunity for our minister to put forward Pakistan’s stance on the issue and clear the previous confusion. However, it was missed. What is even more unfortunate is the fact that a lack of clarity on key issues is likely to aggravate our problems. The Final Action Task Force (FATF) is going to review Pakistan’s progress in a couple of days. Such statements can have negative effects on the country’s review report.

The Afghanistan government has also started blaming Pakistan for its own failure. Also, Pakistan has struggled a lot to restore it’s global image. The country has sacrificed a lot in the war on terror. Tens of thousands of people were killed in countless terror attacks. However, the West never acknowledged the country’s contributions towards fight against terrorism. The government’s silence on key issues may further damage the partially restored status of Pakistan.

Rahman Rasheed

Buner