The Foreign Office on Thursday voiced Pakistan's concerns over the situation in the Gulf region and stressed the need for unity among Muslim counties. "Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim countries. We have made consistent efforts towards its promotion. The situation, therefore, is a matter of concern," said Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria while responding to media queries during his weekly briefing.
The spokesperson, however, declined to comment on the visit of a high-level Qatari delegation to Pakistan led by Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri, a special envoy of the Qatari Emir, who in his meetings with Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore and with other government leaders in Islamabad had reportedly sought Pakistan's role in defusing tensions in the Gulf region.
He also refused to comment on queries about Pakistan's position on Saudi Arabia's and other GCC countries' allegations that they had levelled against Qatar for supporting terrorism and if the government of Pakistan has made any contact with the Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the situation. "I have already given my response and don't have anything more to add," Zakaria responded.
Referring to the 17th SCO Summit in Astana being held from June 8-9, he said that a significant milestone will be achieved in the foreign policy front during the summit when Pakistan will become its full member. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is attending the Summit.
He said that Pakistan abides by the SCO Charter and will fulfill its obligations as per the "Shanghai spirit." "We believe that all countries have an important and positive role to play to establish peace in the region and resolve disputes through peaceful means. Pakistan fully supports every effort in this direction," he added. About any possible meeting of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, he said that Pakistan has not received any request from the Indian side for a meeting on the sidelines.
Responding to Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that 'Indian forces will not count bullets in attacking Pakistan,' he warned the Indian government against making any strategic miscalculation, adding it appears that India is seeking a conflict with Pakistan.
"While we have no desire to escalate the situation, Pakistani armed forces would respond effectively to any unprovoked violations. We have always exercised restraint. The Indian belligerence is a threat to regional peace and security. We have cautioned India from making any strategic miscalculation," he said. He said the Indian occupation forces are continuously engaged in ceasefire violations on the LoC and the Working Boundary, adding civilians in villages and populated areas are continuously being targeted by Indian occupation forces from across LoC.
He said that India has deliberately escalated tension at the LoC and the Working Boundary in order to divert international community's attention from grave human rights situation in IoK. On Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's reported comments, he said Afghanistan has been in turmoil for the last 40 years, which has created space for terrorists and those promoting terrorism in the region who do not have interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan.
"Their activities, especially of our neighbouring country, promoting state-sponsored terrorism, are detrimental to not only Afghanistan but also to Pakistan," he said in an apparent reference to India.
He said that situation in Afghanistan is a common challenge for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore, besides measures pertaining to border management, both Afghan and Pakistani sides need to closely co-ordinate with each other in mutual interest and beware of their detractors who are enemies of Pak-Afghan relations, he added. To another question, he said the entire might of the Indian state is being launched through their National Investigation Agency (NIA) against innocent and unprotected human rights defenders and Kashmiri leaders.
He further said that Pakistan has suffered from Indian state-sponsored terrorism for over five decades. "Today, India is playing a devious game in Afghanistan. India is using Afghan soil against Pakistan and also wants to sabotage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. We have constantly raised our concern in this regard at all the related forums," he said, adding the recent killing of 13 Indians in the Mother of All Bombs attack by the US points to this fact.
On the Kabul peace conference held on June 06, he termed the Kabul process a 'positive' step, adding Pakistan believes that a political settlement based on an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process is the only solution to Afghan conflict. "Afghan people have suffered a lot and so have we. We want to see peace in Afghanistan and it is our commitment to constructively participate in all such initiatives. The Kabul Process is a positive step in this regard. We firmly believe that peace and stability in Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest and no country is affected by an unstable Afghanistan more than Pakistan," he added.
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