Govt’s foreign policy awaits Biden’s call: Sirajul Haq

Says govt failed on all fronts, including task to ‘take back occupied part of Kashmir from Indian occupying forces’

RAWALPINDI:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq on Sunday hit out at the government and alleged that the government was waiting for US President Joe Biden’s call to formulate its foreign policy.

Criticizing the government while addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, he said that the prime minister himself has made complaints about Biden not answering his phone calls.

The JI leader said the government had failed on all fronts, including the task to “take back the occupied part of Kashmir from Indian occupying forces”.

“A minute's silence on the Kashmir issue has become an indefinite silence,” Haq said and added that the occupied valley has been entirely left at the mercy of India. He regretted that government could not even successfully persuade the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold a meeting on the Kashmir issue, “utterly failing in its claims to fight for the rights of Kashmiris”.

“A solution must be found through dialogue by taking all factions, including the Taliban, into confidence and without the use of guns.”

He went on to claim United Nations Security Council (UNSC) president’s decision to not invite Pakistan to a session on Afghanistan despite a request betrays the government's failure to strengthen its foreign policy.

On Saturday, Pakistan expressed “deep regret” over the UNSC president’s decision and categorically rejected all allegations leveled during the session.

The UNSC met on Friday to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and concluded the session with a joint call urging all parties including the Taliban to reduce violence and seek a political settlement. Pakistan had also requested the UNSC chair – currently held by India’s permanent representative – to allow it to participate in the session in order to present its perspective on the Afghan situation.

But the UNSC president did not accept the request, prompting the Foreign Office and Pakistan’s permanent ambassador to the UN to issue strong statements.

Speaking on Sunday, Siraj-ul-Haq further castigated the government for “refusing” to address the basic problems confronting the common man, including the pressing issue of unavailability of clean drinking water, quality healthcare, and education.

“The aid which the country received to deal with the pandemic crisis has been doled out to large industrial groups and spent to cover government administrative expenses, rather than used to treat Covid-19 patients,” he claimed.