ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday welcomed the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s latest pledge of $10 billion investment in the country in multiple sectors, both public and private, the details of which will be announced in coming weeks.
Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the UAE is a longstanding friend and partner of Pakistan and the two countries have close bilateral ties.
“The government of Pakistan welcomes and appreciates the support that the UAE has extended to Pakistan in the past. We are grateful to the president of the UAE for his commitment to enhance investments in Pakistan,” she said.
She said that the investments would be made in multiple sectors in Pakistan, adding that various projects of cooperation and investment are under consideration between Pakistan and the UAE, both in public and private domain. She said that details of these projects would be announced in the coming weeks.
The decision was taken in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday during the prime minister’s day-long visit to the Gulf state.
Baloch said that the two countries have been working together to enhance collaboration in trade and investment.
During the visit of the prime minister to the UAE, she added that the UAE president expressed commitment to make substantive investments in Pakistan.
She added that the prime minister held a bilateral meeting with the UAE president and held meetings with UAE investors and entrepreneurs.
She added that the two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring meaningful implementation of investment cooperation agreements in the areas of energy, port operations projects, wastewater treatment, food security, logistics, minerals, and banking and financial services, signed in November 2023.
She said that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan assured UAE’s support in all circumstances and made a commitment of investing US$ 10 billion in multiple sectors in Pakistan.
“The two leaders underscored the importance of galvanising cooperation and strategic partnership, particularly in the fields of information and communication technologies, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and tourism,” she said.
To a question if Iran has sought any support from Pakistan with regard to the helicopter crash of President Ebrahim Raisi, she expressed Pakistan’s readiness to extend any support if sought by the Iranian government.
“We believe that the Iranian authorities have the full ability to investigate the circumstances of this crash. Pakistan for its part remains ready to extend any support that would be required by the Iranian authorities if such a need arises,” she said.
She also expressed the government of Pakistan’s deep condolences and sympathies with the Iranian people and government on the sad and tragic demise of President Raisi and his companions.
She said that the prime minister also visited Iran on 22 May to pay condolences on the demise of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and their colleagues.
To another query, she said that Pakistan appreciates the efforts by the US authorities, especially in New York, for retrieving the stolen cultural treasures of Pakistan.
She said that the artefacts were recovered through extensive investigations into an international trafficking network, which smuggled looted antiquities into the markets in the United States, Europe and Asia.
“The return of these artefacts not only restores a part of Pakistan’s cultural heritage but also strengthens bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the United States against theft of cultural property. This is also a manifestation of the power of international collaboration in preserving cultural heritage. We look forward to similar collaboration with the US and other countries for the return of stolen artefacts from Pakistan,” she added.
On the situation of Palestine, she said that Pakistan welcomes the announcement made by Ireland, Spain, and Norway on recognising the State of Palestine.
“We also welcome the recent announcements of recognition of the State of Palestine by the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados,” she said, adding that these recent announcements serve as another milestone in the decades-long quest of the people of Palestine for their inalienable right to self-determination.
She said that the Gaza genocide and the dire humanitarian situation there have underlined the urgency of moving towards the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
“The State of Palestine is now recognised by an overwhelming majority of the UN member states. Time has therefore come to accord full membership to the State of Palestine at the United Nations and other international organisations as called for by the UN General Assembly in its recent resolution. We; therefore, reiterate our call to the UN Security Council to positively respond to this growing international sentiment,” she added.
On India occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she said that Pakistan rejects the Indian Supreme Court’s order of 1 May 2024, published on 21 May 2024, dismissing the petitions seeking review of its judgment of 11 December 2023 on the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
“We reject the fresh order of the India Supreme Court just as we had rejected its order of 11 December 2023. The two verdicts fail to recognise the internationally recognised disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
She added that Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. The final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir is to be made in accordance with the relevant UNSC Resolutions and as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, she added.
She said that India has no right to make unilateral decisions on the status of a disputed territory against the will of the other parties to the dispute; i.e., Kashmiri people and Pakistan. “Nor can India abdicate its international legal obligations on the pretext of domestic legislation and judicial verdicts…The Indian Supreme Court’s judgments or orders cannot distract the international community’s attention from the gross and systematic human rights violations being perpetrated in IIOJK,” she asserted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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