Qureshi hopes to have meaningful dialogue with next Indian govt

ISLAMABAD, Apr 3 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said Pakistan hoped that following the general elections in India, its new government would adopt meaningful dialogues with Pakistan on all longstanding issues.
The Minister was addressing the seminar here on “Pakistan-India Relations and Resurgence of Freedom Struggle in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK)” at National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Shah Mehmood said world’s silence over the atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir was remorseful.
He said Pakistan always expressed serious intention about engaging India in bilateral dialogues but Indian government always restrained from it.
“We all know that they have general elections in near future and Pakistan bashing increases their vote bank”, he added.
The Minister said Pakistan’s positive diplomacy resulted de-escalation between India and Pakistan after Pulwama incident.
FM Qureshi informed that he tried to create national consensus in wake of Pulwama incident but the political leadership of the country seemed reluctant.
“Though the response of the opposition parties on the issue was not negative but they hesitated to act promptly on the matter”, he explained.
Minister said incumbent government was not oblivious to the deprivations of Balochistan and had taken great initiatives in health, education and infrastructure including Gawadar airport.
He reiterated that being part of Afghan peace process was embodiment of Pakistan’s support of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned government for the best interest of the region.
He said government had full clarity regarding the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) to its fullest for peace and stability of the country.
Qureshi said country’s political-economic diplomacy was overcoming the hurdles and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) especially in CPEC where special economic zones were being built for third parties.
He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government had found Pakistan in grey list of (Financial Action Task Force) FATF. “We are being pushed towards the black list of FATF but our government will do its best to avoid the situation”, he added.
Foreign Minister paid tribute to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir who were continuing their freedom struggle despite the raging Indian violence and atrocities.
Addressing the ceremony, Mishal Malik, the wife of Hurriyet leader Yasin Malik said, human rights violations were a matter of routine in occupied Kashmir by Indian armed forces.
She said global pressure was required to be excreted on India to put an end to the sufferings of the innocent Kashmiri people.
She stressed that the release of captured Indian pilot Abhinandan was a powerful peace gesture by Prime Minster Imran Khan but India did not reciprocate the move and a golden opportunity for peace was lost.