ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to prefer the peaceful diplomatic process to sort out differences as a result of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s peace overtures.
Addressing a news conference along with special assistant to PM on information Firdous Ashiq Awan in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said Imran Khan met with the Iranian leadership and requested that the region cannot afford any conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia as it will adversely affect the global economy.
He said the Iranian leadership said that they are ready for dialogue as well as third-party facilitation to sort out issues peacefully.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan conveyed positive sentiments of the Iranian leadership, Pakistan’s point of view, and regional situation to Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
He expressed the confidence that now any threat of conflict is fading away.
Regarding the situation in Occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Minister said Imran Khan also highlighted the grave human rights situation in the held valley after an illegal act of 5 August, when Indian revoked special status of Kashmir.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan is fighting Kashmiris’ battle at the international fora and at this critical juncture there should be a unified voice from home and any internal matter may harm this struggle.
He said India restored postpaid mobile service and within 24 hours, it has to suspend its SMS service, which indicates grim situation in the occupied Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister thanked the leadership of Iran and Saudi Arabia for supporting Pakistan’s stance over Kashmir.
Turning to internal political and law and order situation in the country, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said a meeting of the core committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran in the chair today.
He said the government is ready to engage with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and any other political leader to sort out political issues peacefully.
He said we are democratic people and want to handle political issues on the dialogue table.
He said a committee under the leadership of Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak has been formed to engage with JUI-F Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman to find a reasonable way out to ensure economic stability in the country, unified voice for Kashmiris rights, and hold local bodies’ elections.
The Foreign Minister said the government is also going to hold the first phase of local bodies’ elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in February next year.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon hold a meeting with Ulema and Mashaikh to seek guidance from them.
To a question, he said Pakistan’s relations with the United States have greatly improved and today it is also eager to receive a call from Prime Minister Imran Khan.
