India must stop its ongoing campaign to suppress political activists & intimidate the Kashmiri people: Mumtaz Zahra Baloch

ISLAMABAD, May 31 (SABAH): Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said that India must stop its ongoing campaign to suppress political activists and intimidate the Kashmiri people. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should be able to freely exercise realize their right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, she said. FO Spokesperson said that Pakistan will 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.

This was stated by FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressing the weekly press briefing on Friday.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov visited Pakistan on 29-30 May 2024. In Islamabad, he called on acting President Yousuf Raza Gillani and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and held in-depth talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

She said that the visit afforded an opportunity to the two sides to undertake comprehensive review of the state of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments. The two sides reaffimed commitment to further strengthen bilateral strategic relations and broaden the scope of cooperation in all areas of mutual interest including trade, investment, energy, security and defence, education, climate action and regional connectivity. They also agreed to enhance parliamentary exchanges, strengthen cultural cooperation and promote people-to-people exchanges, including between students, academia and businesspersons.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar and Foreign Minister Bayramov discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora and regional and global developments including the situation in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

She said that on the occasion of the ‘Vesak Day’, commemorating Lord Buddha’s birth, a symposium titled “From Gandhara to the World” was organized this week at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event brought together foreign delegates, including at the Ministerial level, prominent Buddhist monks and scholars on Buddhism and interfaith understanding. The symposium showcased Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and underscored the importance of inter-faith harmony.

FO spokesperson said that it explored the dimensions of Gandharan heritage that emerged over two thousand years ago in the northwest of Pakistan; the importance of building bridges and understanding between different communities; celebrating the shared values, and working together for a more peaceful world.

She said that the Fourth Round of Pakistan-Greece Bilateral Political Consultations was held on 29 May 2024 in Athens, Greece. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe), Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, led the Pakistan delegation while the Director General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Roussos Koundouros, led the Greek side. The two sides agreed to further advance high-level dialogue and cooperation.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the sixth round of the Pakistan-Hungary Bilateral Political Consultations was held on 27 May 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe), Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan led the Pakistan delegation while the Deputy State Secretary, Ambassador Lazlo Varadi, led the Hungarian side. The two sides agreed to work together on maintaining a positive trajectory in bilateral relations and exploring new areas of cooperation.

She said that on 29 May 2024, Pakistan and Saint Lucia formally established diplomatic ties at a ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. The agreement to establish diplomatic relations was signed by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Munir Akram, and his counterpart from Saint Lucia, Ambassador Menissa Rambally, signed the Joint Communiqué on behalf of the respective countries.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that over the last three years, Pakistan has established diplomatic relations with Palau, Kiribati, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts & Nevis, and the Commonwealth of Dominica. This decision reflects Pakistan’s firm commitment to enhance its diplomatic outreach and expand cooperation with countries around the globe.

She said that the Indian authorities’ campaign to crush dissent in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains unabated. Confiscation of the properties is an ugly facet of this campaign. Earlier this week, the properties including lands and a shop of two more Kashmiri youth were sealed in Shopian district, she said.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Indian authorities have, so far, seized hundreds of properties across the occupied territory to punish the Kashmiri activists. The headquarters of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar also remains sealed, she said.

 Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced that at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from 4-8 June 2024. The visit will have three segments. Besides Beijing, the Prime Minister will visit the cities of Xi’an and Shenzhen.

In Beijing, the Prime Minister will meet President Xi Jinping and hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li Qiang. He will also hold meetings with Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji and heads of key government departments.

An important aspect of the Prime Minister’s visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies dealing in oil and gas, energy, ICT, and emerging technologies. In Shenzhen, he will address the Pakistan-China Business Forum with leading businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and investors from both countries. He will also visit Economic and Agricultural Zones in China.  

The Prime Minister’s visit is a manifestation of the iron-clad Pakistan-China friendship characterized by frequent high-level exchanges and dialogue. The two sides will undertake discussions to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership; upgrade China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; advance trade and investment; enhance cooperation in security & defence, energy, space, science & technology, education; and promote cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts, thus setting the future trajectory of Pakistan-China friendship.