ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while denying any backdoor diplomacy with India, Friday, confirmed the intelligence-level contacts between the two countries on regional situations sporadically. Speaking at a news conference, the foreign minister termed the Thursday’s meeting of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Kashmiri leaders minus Hurriyat leadership as a “drama” and “public relations exercise” that had achieved nothing.
“In my opinion, the meeting was a drama, a failed and pointless exercise. In fact, it could be called a public relations exercise but nothing was achieved,” Qureshi said, while commenting on Modi’s meeting with those Kashmiri leaders who had been part of the governments and allies of ruling parties in New Delhi. According to him, the only outcome of the meeting was that the Kashmiri politicians have unanimously called for a reversal of the illegal and unilateral steps of August 5, 2019, and restoration of the statehood of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir.
To their demand, the foreign minister said that they got no concrete assurance, but were told that the statehood could be restored at an “opportune time”. “What’s an opportune time and when will it come? This is very vague…Two years have passed and how many more Kashmiri lives will have to be sacrificed?” Qureshi questioned, adding that the Kashmiris lack of confidence in new Delhi was also raised in the talks.
“We can clearly analyse from the discourse which has come out that the Kashmiri politicians who met with Modi wish for a full-fledged restoration of statehood,” the foreign minister added. He pointed out that Kashmiris are still in search of their identity and they are demanding their autonomous status and independence. “They want security and are not accepting the demographic restructuring,” he added.
He said that the discussions that have taken place and also shared with the media by the participants of the meeting were indicative of the fact that the situation in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir are contrary to what Modi government is presenting before the world. He pointed out that the Indian government has been claiming to have brought “development and prosperity” in the region through the illegal and unilateral steps, while contrast, the Kashmir participants have sought compensation for the financial losses suffered during the last two years, as more than 50 percent of industries are closed in the occupied territories.
He said that the Kashmir politicians have also talked about the complete military siege that has been continued for the last three years and they have called for release of the political prisoners, an end to the extrajudicial killings, restoration of fundamental rights and an end to the state tools of oppression against Kashmiri people. “It’s Pakistan demanding all these, but those Kashmiris leadership that had been part of past Indian governments,” he pointed out. “In all these, the surprising and encouraging thing is that despite all these tactics and worst oppression, they [Indian government] has not been able to break their [Kashmiris’] resoluteness and to subjugate them,” Qureshi said. To a question whether Pakistan is engaged with India in any backdoor diplomacy, Qureshi denied any backdoor diplomacy between the two countries, but stated that the two sides remained in contact at intelligence level on regional situations sporadically.
“We have commented on backdoor diplomacy before as well. At present, there is no backdoor channel. There is contact at the intelligence-level on the regional situation sporadically,” the foreign minister said.
Asked whether Pakistan has changed its policy on possessing the nukes following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on nuclear deterrence, the foreign minister responded with a categorical “No”, adding that Pakistan had moved towards nuclear capability for its defence following India conducted its nuclear tests.
He further stated that Pakistan has also been calling for strategic restraint.
To another question about situation in Afghanistan, Qureshi shared Pakistan’s concerns over the increasing violence in Afghanistan, adding that there are other elements also involved in the violence, including Daesh and the “spoilers” – both internal and external.
He said that Pakistan is advocated for reduction of violence and a negotiated political settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government, adding that Pakistan would respect any outcome of the peace process.
“Our position is clear. We would be partner in peace,” he said, adding that there are concerns that in case of any civil war, Afghanistan would be the primary victim, besides having impacts on Pakistan. Responding to another query about the blame game against Pakistan ahead of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s meeting with the US President Joe Biden in the White House, he said: “They [the Afghan authorities] can say whatever they want, but the US knows Pakistan’s role very well.”
He added that the US special envoy for Afghanistan’s reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has on many occasions acknowledged Pakistan’s contributions to the peace process and “Pakistan being part of the solution”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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