Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PHOTO COURTESY: PRESS TRUST OF INDIA (PTI)
“The incumbent government after assuming power immediately tried to normalise relations with India. Despite negative signals, Pakistan has continued peace efforts and initiative,” Dr Faisal said on Tuesday while addressing a conference on Kashmir in Islamabad.
“We want to establish a good relationship with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan who has said if India takes one step [for peace], Pakistan will take two,” the spokesperson added.
The fate of the regional cooperation body has been in the doldrums ever since Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left a Saarc meeting before hearing Pakistan’s statement on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September this year.
The last Saarc summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014, and the following summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016, was canceled after India and five other regional countries refused to attend the meeting.
It now appears that the upcoming summit is also imperiled as the Indian PM – while meeting his Nepali counterpart recently – threatened to ‘sabotage’ it and possibly to ‘pull away’ from the initiative.
Commenting on the Kashmir issue, Dr Faisal said despite Pakistan’s attempts to resume peace talks, India is running away from the dialogue process. “We want to resolve the issue through dialogue. Our first target is to stop human rights violations in the Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK),” he said.
India FM walks out of SAARC meet before Pakistan statement
The FO spokesperson said the Pakistani youth is playing a vital role in highlighting through various media tools the atrocities being committed by the India occupying forces in the valley. He urged the youth to give a befitting response to the Indian propaganda on social media.
He also called for effectively engaging saner elements of India by giving counter-arguments regarding Indian Kashmir policy on social media. He said the Foreign Office is making efforts to highlight Kashmir issue by organising lectures and holding rallies to enhance awareness about the issue.
Terming the United Nations office of the Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR) Report 2018 on Kashmir as a massive step, he said this time not Pakistan, but the world community is pointing out human rights violations in the IOK.
The report also demanded to constitute a commission of inquiry or a fact-finding mission to visit both IOK and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and review the situation on the ground. Pakistan is ready to allow the mission to visit the AJK since there is nothing to cover up, he added
Kartarpur border corridor
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Prime Minister Imran Khan will do the groundbreaking of Kartarpur border corridor on Wednesday (today), which will enable Sikh pilgrims from India to visit one of the most sacred religious sites in Pakistan. “This is a great achievement and success,” he added.
“The opening of Kartarpur border would eventually help Sikh community Yatries to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, situated in Narowal District without any visa. Indian journalists should also visit Kartarpur and attend the opening ceremony,” he added.
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