Daily Times

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday said that India tried to push Pakistan into FATF blacklist but miserably failed despite repeated efforts.

Talking to reporters here, the foreign minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government has worked a lot on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in a limited time and new bills were also passed in consultation with opposition in this regard. The opposition parties voted in favour of the bills in National Assembly but opposed those in Senate, he said, adding that that passage of the bill is need of the time. He expressed the hope that Pakistan will come out of FATF grey list.

Qureshi said that Muharram mourning processions are being taken out across the world but are banned in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). The Indian forces are arresting the Kashmiri people to stop them from mourning, he said, and appealed to the ulema to describe the Indian atrocities in IIOJK during their speeches.

To a question about rains in Karachi, he said that the people of Karachi are facing miseries due to heavy rains and that federal government will extend every type of cooperation to the Sindh government in this connection. About flood situation, Qureshi said that water level is increasing in water reservoirs which may result in flooding.

About health of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Qureshi said that he should return without waiting the government steps to bring him back as his health seems to be better now. He said that the nefarious designs of different elements which want to spread sectarianism in the country would be foiled. He said that Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Saudi Arabia and that the leadership of both countries used to visit each other frequently.