Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has congratulated Donald Trump over his victory in the US elections and welcomed his offer to mediate between Pakistan and India on the Kashmir dispute.

In an interview with an Indian newspaper in October, Trump had said he would be pleased to mediate between Pakistan and India.

During a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said “Well, I would love to see Pakistan and India get along, because that’s a very, very hot tinderbox…. That would be a very great thing. I hope they can do it,” Trump had said.

Zakaria said Pakistan had a multidimensional relationship with the US and wanted to strengthen it further. He said that Pakistan desires a close relationship with the US, and wishes to further strengthen ties in areas including the economy, defence, science and technology, education, strategic issues and counter-terrorism.

He said that Pakistan would continue to promote and strengthen existing ties with the US in areas of common interest.

The spokesman said that six out of eight identified Indian diplomats and staff have been found involved in coordinating terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan under the garb of diplomatic assignments . Now they all had left Pakistan.

Zakaria reiterated Pakistan’s concern over continued atrocities committed by Indian forces in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).

“We salute the courage of Kashmiris,” he said and added that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris, who were fighting for their just right of self-determination.

The Foreign Office spokesman also expressed Pakistan’s condemnation over the continued detention of Kashmiri leadership in IHK.

To a question, Zakaria said that Pakistan would continue to raise the issue of Kashmir bilaterally as well as at all regional and international fora till the just resolution of this dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people.

He regretted that the British premier in his visit to India did not highlight Kashmir’s plight.

To another question about India’s involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, he said, Pakistan has already given briefing to the UN secretary general and the OIC member countries and would present more dossiers in this respect.

About the investigations into 2007 Samjhota Express incident, he said that India has so far not fulfilled its commitments, made at the highest level.

To a question, he said that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in purchasing JF-17 Thunder and Mashshak trainer aircraft from Pakistan, and the concerned authorities were holding discussions in this respect.

He said as Pakistan has achieved significant progress in the area of science and technology, various countries have expressed their interest to benefit from it.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have close and deep-rooted ties and the presence of three million Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia further strengthened these ties, he added.

Zakaria said Chief of Saudi Royal Air Force Gen Mohammed Saleh Al Otaibi visited Pakistan on the invitation of Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman.

To a question regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, the FO said Pakistan has approached the World Bank to establish a Court of Arbitration regarding the matter and is looking forward to the WB to take action at the earliest.

To another question regarding the killing of Muslims in ‘fake encounters’ in India, Zakaria said the international community has seriously expressed concerns over the situation of Muslims and other minorities in India. He said that international human rights organizations have documented scores of fake encounters in India.

On the question regarding Haqqani network in Afghanistan, he said eight leaders and commanders of the Haqqani network have been killed in Afghanistan since July 6.

He said that Pakistan has a desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan. Peace in Afghanistan would be important for Pakistan as well as regional interest. Pakistan has always supported efforts to ensure peace and prosperity in the region and will continue to do so.

“Pakistan wants the warring factions in Afghanistan to come to the negotiation table,” he added.