The Ministry of External Affairs (FO) on Friday issued a clarification on the statement of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. notes From a day earlier in which he advocated for re-engagement with India, saying there was no change in Pakistan’s policy towards its eastern neighbor and there was a “national consensus”.
Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, a government-funded think tank, in his first major foreign policy speech since taking office in late April, Bilawal identified India and the United States as countries whose Relations with Pakistan were problematic.
Emphasizing on India’s involvement, the External Affairs Minister said that it is time to move towards economic diplomacy and focus on engagement. They argued that it was not in Pakistan’s interest to remain separate from Pakistan, despite its “long history of war and conflict” and the actions of the Indian government in occupied Kashmir and its anti-Muslim agenda.
The FO said in its statement today that these comments of the External Affairs Minister are being “interpreted out of context and portrayed incorrectly”. “The External Affairs Minister’s comments are better understood in the overall context of his key message on conflict resolution, which he emphasized in his address at the think-tank event,” the FO said.
It said that Pakistan had “always desired” cooperative relations with all its neighbors, including India, and “relentlessly advocated” constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute. .
“However, India’s unrelenting hostility and regressive measures have vitiated the environment and hampered the prospects for peace and cooperation. Therefore, India needs to take necessary steps to create an environment conducive to meaningful and result-oriented dialogue. responsibility.”
The FO’s statement said that Bilawal had “clearly expressed” the above perspective in his speech.
FM Bilawal’s comments had drawn strong criticism from former FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
“Making a statement on the need to build relations with India while the fascist Indian state oppresses our brothers and sisters [occupied] Kashmir is irresponsible.
“I urge our imported FMs to please stop treating the Foreign Office like your first professional internship,” Qureshi said.
Former federal minister and PTI leader Shireen Mazari had also objected to FM Bilawal’s comments, saying “It looked like the foreign minister was trying to get closer. [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi at a time when Muslims in India are being harassed and targeted and occupied Indian forces are crossing all limits of oppression and exploitation in the IoK.”