Qatar, Britain hail peace gesture

Emir Thani offers PM Imran mediation in ongoing conflict with India

ISLAMABAD: Qatar and Britain appreciated Pakistan’s peace gesture of releasing the Indian pilot, a move widely lauded by the international community.

According to Foreign Office and PM Office statements, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Theresa May called up Prime Minister Imran Khan and conveyed their messages.

In a tweet by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FO spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal stated that the Qatari leader “underscored the importance of de-escalation”.

The two leaders spoke on the phone and Thani offered facilitation in regards to the ongoing conflict between the arch-rivals.

Separately, May welcomed the peace overtures by the prime minister amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, said a PM Office statement.

Prime Minister Imran apprised the British premier of Pakistan’s perspective on the developments since the Pulwama incident, in which nearly four dozen Indian soldiers were killed when a young Kashmiri drove a vehicle full of explosives into a military convoy in the Indian Occupied Kashmir district on February 14.

May welcomed her Pakistani counterpart’s decision of releasing Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, which has been widely appreciated by the international community.

She mentioned the need for both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions, adding that the UK was in touch with both sides in this regard.

Prime Minister Imran invited the UK premier for a visit to Pakistan with the latter reciprocating the gesture.

The international community has stepped in to defuse tensions between Pakistan and India with US President Donald Trump talking about “decent news” from the two countries, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres offering mediation.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel Al Jubeir, will be travelling to the two countries on Sunday and Monday with a special message of the crown prince, while China is also sending its special envoy to the region.

Tensions between Pakistan and Indian escalated rapidly following the February 14 suicide car bombing as India started pointing a finger at Pakistan after the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group which, Indian alleges, operates from Pakistan, purportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Prime Minister Imran had offered India help in investigation and promised to take action against any group found involved in the incident. However, New Delhi rejected the offer and instead started whipping up war hysteria.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by a local mob in Azad Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down IAF’s two aircraft in response to airspace violation by Indian warplanes last week.

Pakistan Army saved Varthaman from the perils of the angry crowd and took him into custody.

Pakistan Army won praise from Twitterati on both sides of the border for treating Varthaman with “dignity and respect”.