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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan would welcome the third-party facilitation by Saudi Arabia or any other country for resumption of talks with India.
“Pakistan is ready for third-party facilitation. It is India that has always shied away from it,” the foreign minister said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Qureshi said Saudi Arabia was the friend of Pakistan and also had business ties with India, which was a big importer of Saudi oil. “If Saudi Arabia wants to play a role (in facilitating talks), we will welcome,” he said.
He recalled that the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India was welcomed by the world including Saudi Arabia. The foreign minister confirmed that there were “no formal talks” at the moment with India, however, he said if India wanted it to make it happen, it “must take the first step forward”.
“If India wants a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan, it has to review its policy on Kashmir and undo the revocation of their special status,” he said.
He called upon India to give relief to the Kashmiri people, who were suffering the 19-month-long military siege and the search and cordon operations, and thus “pave way for a conducive environment for talks”.
To a question regarding his recent statement on Article-370 of the India constitution, he said Pakistan was firm on its stance that “Kashmir is not an internal matter of India”.
“Pakistan has not taken any U-turn and will never do so. The dispute, which is at the agenda of United Nations Security Council with several resolutions on it, cannot be an internal matter of India,” he categorically said.
“There is no ambiguity and Pakistan will continue highlighting the plight of Kashmiris at all international forums,” he said, adding that by revoking Article 35-A, India was distorting the demography of the Valley and denying the Kashmiris their identity.
On Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, he said it led to development of a “positive understanding” at both sides that promoting their mutual relationship was need of the hour.
“This Saudi visit was different in a sense that it defeated the designs of the elements that were trying to create a wedge between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Now, it is a win-win cooperation,” he said.
Qureshi said under the Vision 2030 of Crown Prince, around 10 million workforce was required in next few years and the leadership wanted to allocate a big portion for Pakistanis. He said the $500 million Saudi fund would help Pakistan meet its energy needs through development of hydropower projects.
FM Qureshi said Saudi Arabia had a special place in Muslim community which looked towards it for a leadership role, saying that Pakistan welcomed the initiation of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran to ease tension.
The foreign minister said Pakistan stands with Afghanistan in its efforts for peace, prosperity, reconciliation and categorically stated that it did not side with any particular stakeholder.
He welcomed the recent ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan government, saying that the positive development would enable a conducive environment for negotiations.
Qureshi dismissed that Pakistan would allow any military bases on its soil in the wake of withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. He assured the Afghan government and people that Pakistan wanted a strong and stable Afghanistan and “will not interfere in their internal matters”.
On the situation of Palestine, the foreign minister strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on innocent worshippers at Al Aqsa mosque and called upon the international community to defuse the tension.
