Foreign Office said Thursday that a number of countries including China, Iran as well as world leaders namely US President-elect Donald Trump and UN chief Ban Ki-moon have offered mediation between Pakistan and India to resolve Kashmir dispute but the latter remains intransigent to hold genuine dialogue.
During his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that Pakistan has always highlighted the role of the international community in the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
"We value our friendly and cordial relations with Iran and the US and would appreciate their role in resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute or the rest of international community," he said, adding a number of countries including China have offered mediation to resolve Kashmir dispute.
On the sidelines of recently held Heart of Asia Conference in India, he said that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif who met Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, announced that Iran is ready to mediate on the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India.
He said that US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his readiness to play his role while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also offered mediation quite a few times to that effect but India has avoided the dialogue so far and refuses to entertain any mediation offer, adding Pakistan has always welcomed these offers.
"Pakistan is looking forward to the international community's efforts towards pressurizing India to stop bloodshed in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) and engage in meaningful dialogue. We do not want dialogue for the sake of dialogue. Pakistan wants a result-oriented and sustainable dialogue. We would not like to see India shying away from the dialogue process over the filmiest of reasons. Of course, this dialogue process must lead to resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people," he added.
When asked to comment on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's statement at the Heart of Asia Conference, he declined to comment on the Afghan President's remarks, saying it was not appropriate for him to comment on the statement of Afghan President.
However, he made it clear that Pakistan has been doing everything for taking action against terrorist and militant groups for not allowing its soil to be used against others, adding Afghan government should engage with Pakistan in counterterrorism cooperation and border management instead of blaming Pakistan for all its internal problems.
He stated that it remains a fact that all terrorist outfits including Haqqani Network's leadership, TTA [Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan], TTP [Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan], al Qaeda and Jamaat-ul-Ahraar are operating in Afghanistan against Pakistan. "This is also an established fact that Indian intelligence agencies use Afghan soil to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan. We have suffered more than others due to terrorism, especially due to Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan," he added.
He further stated that India resorted to negativity during Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar to hide its crimes in IoK, adding this attitude has exposed India's claims of commitment to the prospects of peace in Afghanistan, as it misused a platform meant for promoting peace and stability in the war-torn country.
Reacting to Commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson's statement, blaming Pakistan for not doing enough against terrorism, he stated that it was too simplistic and rather self-exculpatory on the part of key players to play a blame game for the recent upsurge in violence in Afghanistan.
"There is need to have an objective and holistic view," he said, adding the US leadership, at different levels and avenues, has frequently acknowledged Pakistan as an important ally in the fight against terrorism and appreciated the sacrifices laid down by people of Pakistan to eliminate this menace," he said, adding when Pakistan talks about terrorist organisations' hideouts, they are present in Afghanistan.
To a query about the US plan to transfer F-16 technology to India, he said that India's massive arms-buying spree and the consequent conventional asymmetry continue to be a threat to regional peace and stability. "Pakistan does not want to indulge in any arms race and remains committed to pursuing arms control and restraint measures. We believe that the region's scarce resources should be devoted to the socioeconomic uplift of its people," he added.
To another question, he said so far India is denying undertaking of any fact-finding mission to IoK but the international community will have to make New Delhi accept such demands and also pay for its crimes against humanity there.
He also condemned the blatant human rights violation by Indian forces in IoK and noted that Kashmiris remain undeterred in their struggle for right to self-determination. When asked whether the US has offered any support regarding the plane crash, Zakaria said when a country faces such a tragic incident, other countries having expertise in such matters offer their assistance. "So, this kind of gesture exists in countries' relations and we appreciate it," he added. He further stated that Pakistan-US relations date back to days of independence and Pakistan wants to promote ties with Washington in all fields.
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