Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday said that India is lobbying to get Pakistan blacklisted in Financial Action Task Force (FATF), calling for national consensus and political commitment to undertake measures to come out of the terror financing and money laundering watchdog's grey-list. Speaking at the launching ceremony of NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) and seminar on 'Pakistan-India Relations and Resurgence of Freedom Struggle in Occupied Kashmir,' Qureshi said that Pakistan is already suffering $10 billion economic losses for being in the grey-list of the FATF.
He, however, did not explain further the economic losses for being in the FATF grey-list, but added that no assessment has been made in case Pakistan is referred to the blacklist.
"India has stated policy, and it is lobbying for putting Pakistan on the blacklist of the FATF ...Imagine how many more economic losses Pakistan could face if they [India] succeed in their efforts," the foreign minister said, adding that the incumbent government had to inherit the grey listing, besides worst economy, when it came into power after July 25, 2018 general elections.
Referring to the National Action Plan (NAP), he stated in categorical terms that the government is serious to effectively implement the consensus document for the best national interest.
"I want to give a clear message to the nation that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is committed to implementing the National Action Plan in letter and sprit," he said, adding that there would be visible changes on the ground in coming few months.
He recalled that after the 2014 Army Public School (APS) Peshawar massacre, the entire nation became united against the scourge of terrorism due to which the political and military leadership came with a 20-point NAP.
Qureshi stated that military has successfully implemented its part of the NAP, but the portion related to the political government could not be implemented due to lack of political will.
He regretted that there was no political determination during the previous PML-N government to implement the NAP in letter and sprit due to which the country had to face challenges at international level such as continued placing on the FATF grey-list.
Qureshi also called upon the political leadership to evolve national consensus on implementation of the NAP, adding that it is in the best national interest that all the political parties must get united to deal with the future challenges.
Qureshi has been given the task by Prime Minister Imran Khan to consult all the opposition parties and for the purpose he had invited the parliamentary leaders on February 28. But the meeting could not take place, as opposition parties demanded that the Prime Minister should brief them.
Referring to the worst human rights violations, Qureshi regretted that the world community is keeping mum over the growing plight of the Kashmiri people. He also paid tributes to the people of Occupied Kashmir who are continuing their freedom struggle despite the raging Indian violence and atrocities.
He said Pakistan gave a befitting response when India resorted to aggression in the wake of Pulwama incident. "We had asked India not to do that [aggression], as we will respond immediately [to any aggression]...and the entire world saw that we did it," Qureshi said while referring to shooting down of two Indian jests in response to the earlier aggression by India in Balakot on February 27.
However, he said that Pakistan desires peace with all its neighbours including India, adding that the government wants to fix its economy for which peace in the region is very important. He also underscored the need for political stability in the country to deal with the challenges.
With Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan is encouraging intra-Afghan dialogue and also got engaged with the US to reset the bilateral ties. He also threw light on the measures taken to improve relations with Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and other regional countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, China, Turkey, etc.
To a question on water issue, Qureshi said that he would soon be convening a meeting at the Foreign Office to discuss the issue which is creating tensions with India as well as the federating units. Former Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, while speaking on the occasion, said that India's secularism is a fraud and its democracy is limping as it is a very communalised and stratified society.
"We need to know our adversary and watch every step of India," he said, adding Hindutva, as a political movement, is an effort to reshape India. He said he is least optimistic about any Pakistan-India dialogue as long as Modi is in power.
He regretted that at present there is no high-level contact between the two countries and the only contact is at the level of DG MOs. He also urged the international community to play its role and encourage dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours.
He also underscored the need for effective implementation on the NAP, saying that the FATF's sword is hanging on Pakistan. On Kashmir crisis, Mushaal Mullick said that international community needs to play its part for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council's resolutions for a plebiscite in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
"Humanity is bleeding in Kashmir. The valley is burning, and innocent Kashmiris are afraid as reports of brutal killings and rapes continue to rise," she said, adding that India is attempting to alter the demography of Kashmir. Rector NUST Lt-Gen Naweed Zaman (retd) said that launch of NIPS will help utilise the high policy formulation and advisory potential of the university in line with the best practices of the top university-affiliated think tanks in the world.
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