FM asks India not to put regional peace at stake

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said a section in Afghanistan, on behest of India, was making allegations against Pakistan, and asked India to stop putting at stake the region’s peace.”We want India not to play the role of a spoiler by extending support to such factions,” he said in a statement on the current regional scenario in Afghanistan and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).

The minister said Pakistan desires peace in Afghanistan and was concerned about the deteriorating situation. He reiterated need for a political solution to the Afghan problem through dialogue, adding that the world was acknowledging Pakistan’s stance that there was no military solution to the Afghan problem.

The minister mentioned that Pakistan was in consultation with the neighbouring countries of the region for concerted efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan. Qureshi said he had invited his Afghan counterpart to visit Islamabad and hold talks to sort out any misunderstandings. Earlier, he said, the visit of the Afghan delegation was postponed on the request of their own government. He said peace in Afghanistan would benefit the whole region, including India.

The minister said a deliberate campaign of maligning Pakistan through fake news was on the rise, and mentioned that Afghan media was spreading a false and fabricated statement attributed to him. On the situation in IIOJ&K, he said the recent letter of the members of European Parliament to president of European Commission exposed the fact that there wasn’t any normalcy in the Valley following India’s illegal act of August 05, 2019. He said a free parliamentary forum of the world had acknowledged Pakistan’s stance over the ongoing human rights crisis in IIOJ&K.

The minister mentioned his letters on the subject addressed to the United Nations secretary general and president of the UN Security Council that highlighted the continuous atrocities of Indian security forces against innocent Kashmiris. Qureshi said Pakistan would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris and mentioned that there was a consensus on the matter in Parliament.

He called upon the international human rights watchdogs to take notice of the human rights violations in IIOJ&K. He condemned the Indian pressure and restrictions on cricket players regarding the Kashmir Premier League, and said sports should not be politicised. He said Pakistan would have no objection if India conducted such sporting events in IIOJ&K, adding that India must review its negative attitude.