Afghan situation satisfactory, says Qureshi

MULTAN: The Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said all attempts to alienate and scapegoat Pakistan for the Afghan situation have been defeated and now the world was contacting Pakistan.

Talking to newsmen, He said that he has spoken to the Foreign Ministers of China, US and UK and told them that Pakistan is Afghanistan’s neighbor and they have been the most affected by its instability.

The entire world understands that a corrupt regime destroyed the moral fabric and governance Afghanistan. Pakistan attaches top priority to peace in Afghanistan and hope normalcy returns to the war torn country with the participation of all sections of Afghan nation, he said.

He said that all operations and activities reported in Afghanistan so far remained peaceful which was a good sign. He said there was fear of bloodshed in Afghanistan but it did not happen.

The foreign minister said the Taliban have declared general amnesty for all and pledged not to exact revenge on anyone. He said trade and business is resuming and offices are reopening which is satisfactory.

The FM said that Afghanistan has suffered from a long and devastating war. The world feared the Taliban would restrict girls’ education, stop women from working, unleash massacre of rival political forces but the Taliban have proven Ashraf Ghani government’s propaganda, as false.

In response to a question about Pakistan not being given a chance to speak at the meeting convened on Afghanistan by the UN Security Council, he said that it would have been better if Pakistan had been heard, but India showed its narrow-mindedness.

Responding to a question on Afghan refugees, he said that Pakistan was currently hosting three million Afghan refugees. In view of the current situation, Pakistan has a complete plan for Afghan refugees. There is no pressure on us at the Chaman- Torkham border.

Earlier, addressing the 43 Hussainia Conference Shah Mehmood Qureshi underlined the need for unity. He said that the region is passing through a critical period. External forces are engaged in conspiracies against Pakistan. Attempts are being made to divide the nation under a conspiracy, he said.

He said the war between the ideology of Hussein and Yazid continues even today after 1400 years, only its form and style have changed. He said the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions taught us the lesson of patience, tolerance and standing firm against the oppression.

The foreign minister said now a hybrid war is going on that employs social media as a weapon to propagate fake news and negative propaganda against the country and its institutions. Pakistan, he said, has exposed 750 websites based in countries that promoted internal strife.

He said that most of the fake information was being shared on social media without any verification. He said the region was passing through the crucial phase and urged the masses to avoid sharing hatred items on social media to prevent differences in our ranks.

Earlier, the foreign minister during his visit to Mumtazabad to review security arrangements for 9th Muharram processions on Wednesday, said the government has taken foolproof security measures for the Muharram processions.Talking to journalists he said security arrangements are looking satisfactory. He said people need to be vigilant of elements that would stir chaos.