Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday said Pakistan had adopted a balanced policy over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and would send humanitarian assistance to Ukraine soon.
Aid goods would be airlifted on C-130 aircraft to Ukraine via the Polish capital Warsaw, he said while talking to media persons. The minister said the Ukraine conflict was a very sensitive issue and Pakistan had emphasized that Russia and Ukraine should resolve the matter through dialogue and diplomacy.
He said there were two aspects of the matter. On one hand, the neighbouring countries of Ukraine, including Poland, Finland, Hungary and European states, had expressed their security related concerns, and on the other Russia considered that the expansion of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) would affect its security and it had conveyed its concerns many times to the United States and its NATO allies. Pakistan believed in the security of all states not for a particular one, he added. Qureshi said the Pakistan government had played its due role for the safe exit of Pakistani students from Ukraine. Many students and families had already been evacuated, while steps were being taken for the return of remaining ones, he added.
He said Pakistan itself had faced troubles (on account of terrorism) during last 20 years and suffered a lot of casualties and loss of around 150 billion dollars to its economy. About the Indian missile crashed on Pakistan’s soil, the minister said India was claiming that it was fired accidentally. Pakistan had recorded protest over the “irresponsible act” by calling the acting Indian High Commissioner to the Foreign Office. Three flights of Saudi, Qatar and Pakistani airlines could have been hit by the missile, and in case of that eventuality, who would been responsible, he questioned. He urged the International Aviation Authority to take notice of the Indian violation. Be it a technological fault or “dishonesty”, the firing of missile had put the regional peace at risk. It might have resulted in a conflict had the Pakistan Air Force not been fully alert and monitored it, he added. Pakistan had briefed the permanent members of United Nations Security Council, including the US, China and France about the issue, he said and hoped that the international community would not remain silent on the violation of international laws, standard operating procedures and human rights.
Qureshi said the national media should highlight the issue both at home and internationally. He cited an Indian journalist as saying that the entire Indian media would have flared up such an incident if it had occurred in India. Pakistan had sought an explanation from India through diplomatic channels and still waiting for a “satisfactory answer”, he added. To a question about “money bags” allegedly being offered by the opposition to the National Assembly members to support their no-confidence motion, he said no member of his party would go for horse trading. The NA Speaker would decide about calling the assembly session for voting on the no-trust motion and he was consulting with legal team in that regard, he added.
He appealed to the opposition leaders to cooperate with the government for the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) foreign ministers’ conference, scheduled on March 22-23. Such an important conference was being held after long time, which would discuss important issues like Afghanistan, Kashmir, Palestine and others. Some 46 foreign ministers had so far confirmed their participation in the conference, he added. To another question, he said there was no grouping in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as all MNAs, elected on the PTI’s ticket, were bound to follow the party’s guidelines.
