Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that India and Pakistan could not stay aloof as neighbours due to geographical situation and reiterated the need for mutual dialogue to resolve issues between the two countries.
“India is geographically linked with Pakistan through common border, weather conditions, culture, language and rivers,” the FM said while addressing an oath-taking ceremony of newly elected body of Electronic News Cameramen Association (ENCA) at Multan Press Club.
He said that India and Pakistan could coexist peacefully as good neighbors and move forward to resolve all their issues including Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek, water, trade and terrorism.
He said that war always brings destruction and cannot be considered as an option, particularly when both countries are nuclear forces.
He recalled that Britain and Germans fought and inflicted destruction on each other in the World War-II. But today we see them connected and united under the European Union umbrella with the economic interest as the main point of convergence.
The FM said that Kashmir was burning and India was trying to suppress the voice of Kashmiris through its military presence of 700,000 soldiers and its black laws. However, he added, the voice of Kashmiris could not be suppressed in the modern electronic and Internet era.
Qureshi said that even Kashmiri leaders, who had been forming governments in the Indian Occupied Kashmir including Mehbooba Mufti.
Responding to a question on the involvement of India in recent terror attacks in Balochistan, the foreign minister said Islamabad, unlike New Delhi, would not hurl allegations without any concrete evidence. “Although we [Pakistan] are certain on who is involved in the terror attacks…no revelation will be made without any prior investigation”, he said.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says he is not aware of the reasons behind the resignation of Asad Umar as finance minister.However,he categorically stated that Asad Umar was not responsible for existing economic crisis.Previous two Governments of PPP & PML-N were responsible for arising situation.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi underlined that the only way for India and Pakistan to move forward is through talks.Qureshi said that Islamabad requires a “willing and constructive partner to tackle the myriad daunting challenges” that the region is facing.“A peaceful neighbourhood is an essential condition to build prosperous societies,”
He said that that Farooq Abdullah, Umar Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti pitched afresh for a dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the violence in the restive state, even as a gunfight raged between terrorists and security forces in Srinagar.
My second message is for the government of India. I want to tell the Indian foreign minister that we are not just neighbours; we are atomic powers. We have a lot of common resources. Us coming to the table and talking peace is our only option. We need to stop the adventurism and come together. We know the issues are tough and will not be solved overnight, but we have to engage. We can not turn the face the other way. Yes we have outstanding issues. Kashmir is a reality; it is an issue that both our nations acknowledge. Atal bihari vajpayee who is no longer in this world, he came to Pakistan. He came to Lahore and Islamabad and he acknowledged the reality of Pakistan and that Kashmir is our outstanding issue. The Islamabad declaration is a part of our history. We need a continued and uninterrupted dialogue. This is our only way forward. My third message is for the Pakistani missions abroad. You are not rulers, you are meant to serve. The intent with which PM Imran Khan addressed the nation, our attitudes will have to change towards our people. A good nature, courtesy never makes you lose anything. You gain friends. Treat our overseas Pakistanis with respect. This is the duty of all our embassies abroad now. I am aware of the challenges. And nations are put under such tests. We know our foreign challenges, our economic challenges. As the vice chairman of the ruling party, I played a small part in developing our agenda and 100 day plan and I want to work towards its implementation. I know we have competent officers in our foreign office and I will continue to take guidance from them. We have so many experts who reside in the country, acamedia and think tanks who we will also engage. Brainstorming together is the way forward. We will move forward together, and as a nation and will work towards living respect for Pakistan in the world. Our foreign secretary just told us that the Indian foreign minister has congratulated Imran Khan and expressed the will to commence dialogue. My approach on issues of foreign policy is to take everyone together. Pakistan’s focus is always united on the benefit of the people of Pakistan. Wherever I need guidance from, I will take. I have had the opportunity to work with Condolezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Richard Holbroke. I understand their reservations, but we will also put forward our own reservations to them. There are big nations and small nationS, but there is no compromise on national self respect. We have to bridge the trust deficit and put forward Pakistan’s trust deficit. We will do all of this with full consultation with Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the information I have; there are 17 diplomats frpm Pakistan in different missions. Principally; their tenure ends with an incoming government. I would like to assess their performance and see the role they played and appointments will be performance based. No one should take it for granted that they will sit in those positions. We will assess who meets our goals and our game plan. But we will not without reason dismiss anyone; I request them to continue working where they are working. The west has some pre conceived ideas of where the foreign policy of Pakistan is made. Let me make it very clear it will be made at the foreign office. We have input from our national security institutes; there is institutional memory and we will engage with them for the betterment of Pakistan. Pakistan first. When US makes foreign policy; doesn’t it take advice from The CIA and the Pentagon. I know how the system works; I have studied Obama’s foreign policy mechanisms in details. We will put Pakistan first. My priorities will be in line with the policy of the prime minister and our government. We have put together a task force under Dr.Ishrat Hussain on austerity measures. Every ministry has to have a different approach and we have to see what the others are doing, and Pakistan has to match to those levels. We see the levels of corruption and see that corruption has destroyed the institutions of Pakistan. Until and unless we address this serious issue we will not move forward. We know the resistance and obstructions that will come our way, and we will take them on. Obviously CPEC is a very important project; it is a game changer and our party supported it while in opposition too. The Chinese ambassador was in touch with me and I will be meeting him soon to get an overview on progress. There has been a stress on infrastructure, but we want to talk about when we enter the speech of socio economic development for the betterment of our people.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says he is not aware of the reasons behind the resignation of Asad Umar as finance minister.However,he categorically stated that Asad Umar was not responsible for existing economic crisis.Previous two Governments of PPP & PML-N were responsible for arising situation.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi underlined that the only way for India and Pakistan to move forward is through talks.Qureshi said that Islamabad requires a “willing and constructive partner to tackle the myriad daunting challenges” that the region is facing.“A peaceful neighbourhood is an essential condition to build prosperous societies,”
He said that that Farooq Abdullah, Umar Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti pitched afresh for a dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the violence in the restive state, even as a gunfight raged between terrorists and security forces in Srinagar.
My second message is for the government of India. I want to tell the Indian foreign minister that we are not just neighbours; we are atomic powers. We have a lot of common resources. Us coming to the table and talking peace is our only option. We need to stop the adventurism and come together. We know the issues are tough and will not be solved overnight, but we have to engage. We can not turn the face the other way. Yes we have outstanding issues. Kashmir is a reality; it is an issue that both our nations acknowledge. Atal bihari vajpayee who is no longer in this world, he came to Pakistan. He came to Lahore and Islamabad and he acknowledged the reality of Pakistan and that Kashmir is our outstanding issue. The Islamabad declaration is a part of our history. We need a continued and uninterrupted dialogue. This is our only way forward. My third message is for the Pakistani missions abroad. You are not rulers, you are meant to serve. The intent with which PM Imran Khan addressed the nation, our attitudes will have to change towards our people. A good nature, courtesy never makes you lose anything. You gain friends. Treat our overseas Pakistanis with respect. This is the duty of all our embassies abroad now. I am aware of the challenges. And nations are put under such tests. We know our foreign challenges, our economic challenges. As the vice chairman of the ruling party, I played a small part in developing our agenda and 100 day plan and I want to work towards its implementation. I know we have competent officers in our foreign office and I will continue to take guidance from them. We have so many experts who reside in the country, acamedia and think tanks who we will also engage. Brainstorming together is the way forward. We will move forward together, and as a nation and will work towards living respect for Pakistan in the world. Our foreign secretary just told us that the Indian foreign minister has congratulated Imran Khan and expressed the will to commence dialogue. My approach on issues of foreign policy is to take everyone together. Pakistan’s focus is always united on the benefit of the people of Pakistan. Wherever I need guidance from, I will take. I have had the opportunity to work with Condolezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Richard Holbroke. I understand their reservations, but we will also put forward our own reservations to them. There are big nations and small nationS, but there is no compromise on national self respect. We have to bridge the trust deficit and put forward Pakistan’s trust deficit. We will do all of this with full consultation with Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the information I have; there are 17 diplomats frpm Pakistan in different missions. Principally; their tenure ends with an incoming government. I would like to assess their performance and see the role they played and appointments will be performance based. No one should take it for granted that they will sit in those positions. We will assess who meets our goals and our game plan. But we will not without reason dismiss anyone; I request them to continue working where they are working. The west has some pre conceived ideas of where the foreign policy of Pakistan is made. Let me make it very clear it will be made at the foreign office. We have input from our national security institutes; there is institutional memory and we will engage with them for the betterment of Pakistan. Pakistan first. When US makes foreign policy; doesn’t it take advice from The CIA and the Pentagon. I know how the system works; I have studied Obama’s foreign policy mechanisms in details. We will put Pakistan first. My priorities will be in line with the policy of the prime minister and our government. We have put together a task force under Dr.Ishrat Hussain on austerity measures. Every ministry has to have a different approach and we have to see what the others are doing, and Pakistan has to match to those levels. We see the levels of corruption and see that corruption has destroyed the institutions of Pakistan. Until and unless we address this serious issue we will not move forward. We know the resistance and obstructions that will come our way, and we will take them on. Obviously CPEC is a very important project; it is a game changer and our party supported it while in opposition too. The Chinese ambassador was in touch with me and I will be meeting him soon to get an overview on progress. There has been a stress on infrastructure, but we want to talk about when we enter the speech of socio economic development for the betterment of our people.
