Pakistan will take steps only to further its national interests against the backdrop of regional and international realignments that put China and the US as well as China and India at odds with each other, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told reporters it was natural for countries to realign themselves in accordance with the changing global realities and politics.
“Regarding China-Pakistan friendship, we are ‘all weather friends’ with a deep strategic understanding on core issues of national interest to both the countries. Cooperation between Pakistan and China in all areas continues to grow to the mutual benefit of the two countries,” he added.
The spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi recently visited China, where all aspects of bilateral cooperation were brought under discussion, and further strengthening of bilateral ties was agreed upon.
“Pakistan will take every such step that will further its national interests,” the spokesperson stated, while responding to the question as to which side Pakistan would take if there was a tussle between China and the US and its allies, including India.
China’s increasing economic clout is also paving way for realignments in the Middle East. The $400 billion strategic pact between China and Iran also raised eyebrows in many Arab countries.
This has put Pakistan in a difficult situation as being part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Pakistan is naturally aligned with China and its ventures with other countries. However, Pakistan’s Arab friends are not happy with the development and are reportedly pushing the country to stay away from the Chinese camp.
On the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the spokesperson said Pakistan was implementing “the FATF Action Plan since 2018 and we have made significant progress” in this regard.
“Our entire AML/CFT regime has been revamped in compliance of the action plan to bring it to the international standards set by FATF,” he informed the reporters.
The inhuman military siege, communications blockade, media blackout and continued restrictions on all forms of freedom of the Kashmiri people in IIOJK continue unabated for 395 days, the Foreign Office observed.
It maintained that in further acts of unabated state terrorism over the past one week, the Indian occupation forces martyred 20 more Kashmiris, in fake and staged encounters. Over 300 innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, had been martyred in fake encounters and so-called “cordon and search” operations during the last one-year, it added.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the use of tear gas shells and firing of pellets on Muslims taking part in the Muharram procession in IIOJK,” the Foreign Office statement read. Due to the illegal and indiscriminate use of pellets, it added, dozens of Kashmiris were seriously injured, including in the eyes, causing permanent blindness.
Indiscriminate targeting of civilians with pellet guns, causing excessive and permanent injuries and even deaths, was a clear violation of human rights and humanitarian law, the Foreign Office stated. “The government of India is in clear violation of the United Nations’ basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the UN Code of Conduct for law-enforcement officials.”
The statement said that the BJP leadership was directly responsible for the illegal actions of the Indian occupation forces. “No illegal acts, such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA), can provide a legal cover to a crime recognised as such by international law,” the statement further read.
The Foreign Office condemned the Indian government’s decision to forcibly impose Hindi language on the Kashmiri people in the IIOJK through the “Jammu and Kashmir Languages Bill, 2020”, approved by the Indian cabinet.
“The international community must take cognisance of the series of illegal Indian decisions and actions taken since August 5, 2019 and act in support of the human rights of the Kashmiri people,” the statement read. Pakistan also expressed deep concern at the worsening human rights situation and treatment of minorities in India under the BJP’s “Hindutva” inspired regime.
Speaking of the Indian nationals that Pakistan had proposed to be designated as terrorists, the Foreign Office statement maintained that, “As you are aware, Pakistan had proposed designation of Indian nationals under the United Nations Security Council’s ISIL and Al-Qaeda Sanctions list in 2019.”
Regarding the Islamophobic instances this week, Pakistan strongly condemned the incidents of desecration of Holy Quran in Malmo Sweden and Oslo, Norway, and the decision by the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, to reprint deeply offensive caricature, the spokesperson said. News desk
