Daily Times

The Foreign Office on Thursday termed as ‘speculative’ the media reports quoting the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after their joint visit to Pakistan as saying that Kashmir issue should not be linked with the Muslim Ummah.

“Instead, the visit of the two foreign ministers affirmed solidarity of Saudi Arabia and UAE with Pakistan and also support for the Kashmir cause,” Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Faisal said at a weekly briefing.

The spokesman said Prime Minister Imran Khan will give a policy statement regarding the situation in Indian-held Kashmir during his upcoming visit to Azad Kashmir on Friday (today). “The policy statement is part of Pakistan’s continued struggle for the Kashmir cause,” he said, adding that several other steps are also under consideration regarding the occupied valley and will be shared as the situation unfolds.

The spokesman said the struggle for Kashmir is a continued process, not an event. “Our stance is loud and clear that the all issues with India including the Kashmir dispute can be resolved through dialogue,” he added.

About the composition of 58 countries that joined Pakistan’s call at the Human Rights Council, he said those mostly included members of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other states that condemned India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir and the continued communication lockdown of valley.

Regarding any follow-up to the mediation offer by US President Donald Trump between Pakistan and India on the Kashmir dispute, he said there are already offers by several other countries, however, India is not ready to come to the dialogue table. He said India’s negative response is delaying the solution of the issue, which is creating a humanitarian crisis in the occupied valley.

The spokesman said India’s draconian emergency laws in Kashmir cannot be allowed to stand, and called for authorising the office of Human Rights Commissioner and Office of the Human Rights to monitor and report on India’s human rights violations. He stressed that India must allow the international media and human rights organisations to visit Kashmir.

To a question on stalemate in talks between the United States and Taliban, he said Pakistan wants all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from violence. “We encouraged and facilitated the Afghan peace process and always maintained that only solution to Afghan conflict rests in a politically negotiated settlement, led and owned by Afghans themselves,” he said.

He expressed the hope that the peace talks between the US and Taliban will resume at the earliest and momentum will be maintained for a peaceful and positive outcome in the best interest of regional peace.

About Pakistan to charge a fee of 20 dollars from the religious tourists of Kartarpur, the spokesman clarified that it is not an entry fee but service fee meant to share 10 to 15 percent expenditure of construction and other facilities including roads, buses, reception centre, etc.

To a question on any meeting expected in future between Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav with diplomats from India, he said, “There is no other meeting.”

Regarding statement by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing post-election plan to annex Jordan Valley, he said, “We reject any such movement which can be illegal and a dangerous escalation.” While reaffirming solidarity with Palestinians, he said Pakistan calls for a viable and independent state of Palestine on the basis of internally agreed parameters of pre-1969 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.