FM Bilawal will be leading Pakistan delegation to SCO Council of Foreign Ministers being held on 4-5 May 2023 in Goa, India: FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch

ISLAMABAD, April 20 (SABAH): Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM)  being held on 4-5 May 2023 in Goa, India. ​The Foreign Minister is attending the SCO CFM meeting at the invitation of the current Chair of SCO CFM, Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India.

​ This was stated by FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressin the weekly press briefing on Thursday. Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities. ​Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also attended the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in July last year in Tashkent, she said.

​She said that Pakistan will continue to raise its voice against these grave and systematic human rights violations in IIOJK. We will also continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.

 “​I will begin today with the visit of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar to attend the 4th Meeting of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan held on 13th of April in Samarkand” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

She said that in her statement at the Ministerial Meeting, the Minister of State highlighted that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called for the humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan. She also called for the progress towards the goal of promoting greater political inclusivity in Afghanistan. The Minister of State emphasized the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for the region and the interest of the neighboring countries in peace and stability there, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

FO spokesperson said that the Minister of State also participated in the Meeting of the Quadrilateral Group on Afghanistan which includes China, Iran, Pakistan and Russia. She underscored the importance of coordinated regional approaches to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan. She underlined that the untapped potential for connectivity could harness unprecedented new opportunities for the region. The Minister of State also underscored the importance of practical and constructive engagement with the Interim Afghan Government.

 She said that in Samarkand, the Minister of State also held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan’s Head of Mission in Afghanistan, Ambassador Ubaid Nizamani has returned to Kabul and resumed his responsibilities. This was made possible after close consultation with the Afghan Interim Government. In his telephone conversation with Acting Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi on 15th of April, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also reiterated the necessity and responsibility of the Afghan Interim Government towards the safety and security of our diplomatic missions and personnel in Afghanistan. Ambassador Nizamani and his team have our best wishes and support.

 She said that lLast week Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) with Bulgaria and with Portugal were held on 11th and 13th April 2023 respectively. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Muhammad Saleem led the Pakistan delegation to these Consultations where the entire spectrum of bilateral relations was discussed and important understandings were reached on enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation. Broad range of regional and global issues of common interest including regional security, climate change and cooperation at the multilateral fora were also discussed.

​ Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan continues to participate in SCO meetings in keeping with our long-standing commitment to SCO. Federal Minister for Climate Change, Ms. Sherry Rehman represented Pakistan at the 4th SCO Meeting of Heads of Ministries on Environmental Protection. The meeting was held in online format in New Delhi on 18th April 2023.

“Yesterday, Director of the National Disaster Management Authority virtually attended the SCO Expert Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations while today Mr. Muhammad Idrees Mahsud, Member Disaster Risk Reduction, is virtually participating in the SCO Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations” she said.

 ​“We continue to follow the worrying developments in Sudan and are closely monitoring the safety and security of the Pakistani community there. Our Embassy in Sudan remains in close and constant contact with our community and will continue to facilitate them. The well-being of Pakistanis remains a key priority of the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” she said.

“As we come to the end of the holy month of Ramzan, we must remember our brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Even during this holy month, the occupation authorities have continued to impose curbs and restrictions on the freedom of religion” she said.

She said that lLast week, the occupation authorities stopped Kashmiris from offering Friday prayer at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid. Similarly, there were heavy deployments of security forces around mosques on ‘Shab-e-Qadr’, which is observed on the holy night on 27th of Ramzan. We urge the Indian authorities to bring an end to the restrictions imposed on Kashmiris that prevent them from freely practicing their religion, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.