India’s belligerence poses serious threat to peace in region: FM

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said India’s belligerence poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region. Addressing the virtual meeting of Conservative Friends of Pakistan, the Foreign Minister said he has written a number of letters to the UN Secretary General and the President of the Security Council on the Indian posture. Referring to Indian blatant human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that on the 5th of August last year, New Delhi illegally and unilaterally attempted to alter the disputed status of the territory in clear violations of international laws. He said India has deployed additional troops in the area which is already the most militarized zone in the world. Kashmir leaders are incarcerated whilst extra judicial killings of innocent young Kashmiri are tactics used to break the will of the people fighting for their right to self-determination. These facts are well documented in reports of human rights organizations. He said India should be pressurized to stop human rights violations in the occupied territory and move towards resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions. The Foreign Minister said commencement of intra afghan dialogue is a significant and positive development for the regional peace. He said Pakistan has facilitated the US-Taliban peace agreement signed in Doha early this year. Regarding bilateral relations with the UK, the Foreign Minister said both the countries are in agreement to further build on the excellent relationship. He said we need to look at new areas of cooperation. Shah Mahmood Qureshi has lauded the role of Pakistani diaspora in building relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom and strengthening the people-to-people contacts. He highlighted the contributions made by British Pakistanis, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Qureshi also paid rich tributes to members of Pakistani community who lost their lives in fight against COVID-19. He highlighted the effects of COVID-19 on global economy and outlined the actions taken by government of Pakistan to tackle the challenge through ‘smart lockdown’ policy and the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Global Initiative on Debt Relief’. Dilating upon positive developments in Pakistan’s economy, the Foreign Minister attributed these developments to key strategic thrusts of Pakistan’s economic policy comprising responsible economic governance, foreign investments, improved export market access, leveraging technology and focusing on Information Technology, and promoting tourism. He said we have recorded current account plus for the first time in many years whilst other economic indicators are also showing improvement. Our domestic tax collection has increased by thirty percent.  The remittances for the first time crossed twenty billion dollars. The confidence of investors is improving as a result of our policies.  The Conservative Friends of Pakistan (CFOP) led by Lord Zameer Choudrey seeks to build a stronger, wider and deeper relationship between the Conservative Party, Pakistan and British Pakistani communities in the UK which hosts more than 1.5 million strong Pakistani diaspora. The reception was well attended by the government ministers, Members of the Parliament and prominent members of British Pakistani community. NNI