ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (APP):Recalling President Trump’s willingness to mediate the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the United States should urge India to end its lockdown in the occupied territories, desist from escalation along the Line of Control, implement UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and let Kashmiris exercise their right to self-determination.
The foreign minister held a meeting with US National Security Advisor Ambassador Robert O’ Brien at the White House, the Foreign Office spokesperson in a press release on Saturday said. This was their first meeting since Ambassador O’ Brien’s appointment as National Security Advisor in September last year.
Qureshi and the US National Security Advisor discussed bilateral relations and challenges in the South Asia and the Middle East.
The foreign minister also briefed NSA O’ Brien on the grave human rights situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which had worsened since India imposed a complete blockade on the region in August 2019.
He also apprised the National Security Advisor about Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in the region.
The foreign minister informed Amb. O’Brien about his recent diplomatic outreach in the Gulf region and underscored Pakistan’s desire to defuse tensions.
He emphasized the need for de-escalation and dialogue and conveyed Pakistan’s concern that instability in the Middle East would affect the neighbourhood and the global economy.
He underscored Pakistan’s willingness to play its role for peace in the region. Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Donald Trump last year had articulated a shared vision for a broad-based and enduring partnership between Pakistan and the United States.
He said that the expansion of bilateral economic and trade ties was key to realizing that vision.
Amb. O’ Brien appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for maintaining peace in the Middle East and South Asia. He also acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution to efforts for achieving a peaceful political settlement in Afghanistan.
