Pakistan played responsible role in de-escalating tensions with India: FM

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that Pakistan had played a responsible role in de-escalating the tensions rose between Pakistan and India in recent time.
Talking to a private television channel, the foreign minister said Pakistan had taken a number of steps for diffusing the situation.
He said the prime minister’s decision to release the Indian pilot in a goodwill gesture had changed the entire scenario.
Qureshi said Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Delhi had also returned to Delhi after consultations.
He said Pakistan would send an official delegation to India on March 14 to discuss the agreement on the operationalization of Kartarpur Corridor. Pakistan was also ready to continue weekly contacts at the Military Operations Directorate level, he added.
Responding to a question, he said after the tragic episode of Army Public School attack in 2014, a political consensus was evolved on National Action Plan for taking action against banned outfits. He, however, said the PTI-led government had shown the resolve for eradicating militancy from the country.
Answering another question, the foreign minister said Pakistan wished peace, stability, investment and economic prosperity in the region.
He said China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Qatar and many other regional countries had played their vital role in lowering the tension between Pakistan and India.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said if India wanted to become Asian Super Power, then it should hold dialogue for resolving all of the outstanding issues with Pakistan including the Kashmir dispute for durable peace in the region.
He, however, said during the recent tension, Pakistan’s perspective of peace initiatives in the region was given more importance by the world as compared to the Indian narrative.
During the recent tension, the issue of Kashmir dispute had further globalized as attention of the world community was drawn towards the ongoing brutalities of Indian forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK).
Regarding Pakistan-US relations, the foreign minister said the US policy of South Asia had changed due the fact that it wanted peace in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan also wanted to play its role in restoring peace to the worn-torn country.