Pakistan working closely with regional countries as well as members of int’l community for achieving lasting peace & stability in Afghanistan: FO Spokesperson
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (SABAH): Pakistan has once again called for continued constructive engagement of the international community in Afghanistan to avert humanitarian crisis.
In his weekly media briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Pakistan is working closely with the regional countries as well as members of the international community for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He said we have been calling on the international community to stay engaged with all relevant parties and to respond to the current situation in a careful and a calibrated manner.
The Spokesperson said during talks with Afghan delegation, we expressed our commitment to peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan.
He said we also discussed strengthening of bilateral and transit trade regime and facilitating movement of people by land and air. He said Pakistan offered technical assistance in health and education.
The Spokesperson commended the outstanding performance of Pakistan Cricket team at the T20 World Cup. He said while being a bit unlucky in the semifinal, on whole, our young team earned acclaim and won the hearts of Pakistanis and cricket lovers around the world for their humility, skill and sportsman spirit. He also congratulated the Australian team over their win in semi-final.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said ths week our Hindu community celebrated Diwali-the festival of lights, with traditional zeal and fervor. We also commemorated the second anniversary of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor-dubbed the ‘Corridor of Hope’ by the UN Secretary General. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019, the Corridor is a shining example of our efforts to promote interfaith harmony, and is reflective of the primacy Pakistan accords to religious minorities in the country. The Corridor is open from the Pakistan side since June 2020. We expect that India, in the same spirit, will allow pilgrims to avail the Corridor to visit Kartarpur Sahib. Meanwhile, we are all set to welcome thousands of devotees from India and around the world coming to Pakistan for the upcoming birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak from 17-26 November for which elaborate arrangements have been put in place.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that as the minorities in Pakistan celebrate their religious festivities and enjoy freedom of religion, we note with growing concern how minorities in India, particularly Muslims, are being systematically persecuted and ostracized under the Hindutva driven ideology of the BJP-RSS combine. It is reprehensible that targeting of Muslims, their properties and houses of worship is continuing since last month. Extent of impunity and state complicity is such that draconian laws are being slapped against those drawing attention to the ongoing blatant violations. Besides closing its eyes to radical mobs, the Indian authorities are also pursuing anti-Muslim citizenship related policies and actions, including the mischievous NRC scheme aimed at disenfranchising millions of Muslims.
He said that in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), notwithstanding India’s theatrics and portrayal of false sense of normalcy, there are increasing concerns about the deteriorating security situation and escalating violations of human rights and international humanitarian law – all to the detriment of ordinary Kashmiris.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that we strongly condemn killing of two more Kashmiris by Indian occupation forces on Thursday. Since 1st October, 21 Kashmiris have been martyred in fake encounters and so-called “cordon and search operations”.
He said that in this context a matter of deep concern is the deployment of thousands of additional Indian occupation troops in IIOJK, which is already the world’s most militarized zone with over 900,000 occupation forces. It is clearly designed to further brutalize the oppressed Kashmiri people through the barrel of the gun. However, it is also evident that this cannot deter the Kashmiri people from their legitimate struggle for self-determination. Kashmiris are increasingly alienated from India and its illegal occupation whose barbarity is more than evident to the world. It is time for India to realize the futility of the military approach. Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be resolved in line with international legitimacy and in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.