Daily Times

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday stated that ‘Incredible India’ is now being viewed as ‘intolerant India’, and ‘Shining India’ as ‘burning India’, adding that the country is now facing international scrutiny like never before.

The foreign minister expressed these views while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies in Islamabad. He said Pakistan remains committed to its core objective of lowering tensions and promoting peace and stability in the region. He said Pakistan will not become party to any regional conflict and continue to support negotiated settlement of all regional disputes. He said conflicts are not in favour of any country and dialogue is only viable option to bring peace and stability to the region. He said Pakistan is a peace-loving nation and wants to forge peaceful relations with all its neighboring countries, including India and Afghanistan.

Talking about Indian aggression, Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed regret that unilateral and illegal actions taken by BJP-led fascist regime in Indian-held Kashmir have endangered the regional peace and stability. He recalled that Pakistan’s forces responded to Indian aggression with full bravery and strength in February last year. He said recent spree of violence in New Delhi has badly exposed anti-Muslims and Hindutva ideology of the BJP government.

Qureshi said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies are taking a bloody and dangerous turn, as predicted by Prime Minister Imran Khan. “India’s Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens are aimed at disenfranchising the country’s 200 million Muslims,” he said.

Referring to the 2002 riots in Gujarat, Qureshi said, “The pogrom of Gujarat is being replayed on the streets of New Delhi. This is a matter of deep concern to Pakistan and should be to the entire world. Hindutva and its capture of Indian state institutions poses the single, gravest threat to global and regional peace and security. Pakistan has not sought conflict with India, but we have not appeased either. We have not shied away from lending our full voice and support to the beleaguered people of occupied Kashmir. We have not shied away from exposing the real Indian intent and agenda to the world.”

“Today, after decades of hiatus, the Kashmiri issue is fully alive and internationalised. The world’s opinion is turning in favour of the Kashmiris, and against ruling Hindu supremacists. We have no doubt that the world community can clearly see the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] government in India for what it is; an ideologically driven, hate-filled, majoritarian clique that is destroying the societal fabric, and deeply hurting minorities, especially Muslims. They must be held accountable for the crimes against humanity they are committing every day,” he said.

Talking about landmark peace accord inked in Doha, he said the agreement vindicated Prime Minister Imran Khan’s long-held narrative that there is no military solution to Afghan conflict and only politically negotiated settlement can promote peace in the war-torn country.

He said Islamabad opened Kartarpur Corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims visit their religious holy site, and this peace initiative got recognition at the international level.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan was also present at the seminar.

Fifteen renowned scholars including nine international experts from diverse backgrounds delivered lectures on different topics such as emerging new world order, regional security, technology development, air power, hybrid warfare and cyber warfare at the two-day seminar. The main objective of the seminar was to create a comprehensive global forum seeking expert inputs and providing perspectives on changing balance of power, emerging technologies, aerospace employment and new modes of warfare.