Stop levelling baseless accusations, FM Qureshi tells India after Pulwama attack

Foreign minister also meets his German counterpart on sidelines of Munich Security Conference

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday urged India to refrain from hurling baseless accusations against Pakistan.

Responding to the allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in suicide attack in occupied Kashmir's Pulwama district, which killed at least 44 Indian security personnel, Qureshi said Pakistan has always advocated peace with neighbouring countries and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s peace overture to India was on record.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country would give a ‘strong reply’ to those behind the Kashmir attack as New Delhi withdrew the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) trade status given to Pakistan.

Indian security forces inspect the remains of a bus following an attack on a paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy on February 14, 2019. PHOTO: AFP

During an interview with German newspaper in Munich, he said Pakistan always favours peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the former has played a significant role in the ongoing Afghan peace process.



The foreign minister maintained that peace in the war-torn country is not only crucial for its own progress and prosperity but Afghan peace is inevitable for regional development and stability as well.

"The world is acknowledging Pakistan’s stance on Afghan conflict resolution," he added.

FM Qureshi, who is in Germany to attend Munich Security Conference, said high state officials and international security experts took part in the conference to discuss the security challenges the world is facing nowadays.

The conference would help to devise a comprehensive and joint strategy to cope with the prevailing challenges, he remarked.

FM Qureshi meets German counterpart

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Qureshi met his German counterpart Heiko Maas on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Friday.

The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction at the current level of bilateral relations and agreed to translate the existing friendship and mutual goodwill into a strong political and economic partnership.



Foreign Minister Qureshi appreciated the trade and investment relations and welcomed the entry of Volkswagen into the Pakistani market. He invited other German companies to take advantage of the PTI government’s investor friendly policies, especially in the fields of energy, infrastructure development, agriculture, food processing, energy, mining, manufacturing, water and waste management among others.

The two foreign ministers discussed a wide range of regional and international issues. Underscoring the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, Qureshi stated that Pakistan was facilitating the ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban as a shared responsibility and in good faith.

He hoped that the talks would result in an intra-Afghan dialogue leading to lasting peace in the country. The foreign minister also highlighted the continued atrocities perpetrated by the security forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The two foreign ministers agreed to work closely to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, said the FO statement.