Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday said that if Jahangir Tareen has any concerns, he should meet Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Talking to media in Multan, Qureshi said that members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are bound by the decision of Imran Khan. He said independent members have submitted affidavits before sitting on PTI benches in the assembly.
Qureshi said that 17 sugar mills have received notices and only one of those belongs to Tareen. “If Jahangir Tareen has any concern, he should meet the prime minister. We will listen to everything Tareen says,” Qureshi said.
The foreign minister said that none of the PTI members were going to any other party. “When I had a disagreement with the PPP, I left my seat and resigned,” he said.
Qureshi’s statements came shortly after Tareen, who is facing multiple cases, called for a ‘fair team’ to investigate his case as he believes that the officers investigating him are ‘controversial’.
Replying to a question, the foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan does not believe in the politics of revenge. “Jehangir Tareen was our companion and our doors are always open for him. The notices were issued to some 17 sugar millers and not Jehangir Tareen alone,” he said. The Pakistan Democratic Movement leaders are happy that Tareen will part ways with PTI though the latter has no such intentions, he added.
The foreign minister said the prime minister is fully committed to the eradication of corruption as it is the main agenda of the PTI’s election manifesto. There would be no compromise on such issues, he added, while ruling out creation of any forward bloc in the party.
The prime minister, he said, had a meeting with the parliamentarians from South Punjab in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar a day before. The funds of Rs 700 million initially required for the South Punjab Secretariat have been released while the March 29 notification about its powers has also been withdrawn. He said the prime minister will soon visit the South Punjab for opening the offices of its secretariat at Multan and Bahawalpur.
He said the Punjab chief minister has assured that the next provincial cabinet meeting will be held in Multan.
Qureshi said Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India if the latter ensured a conducive environment. The Kashmir issue was the main hurdle in talks and he would even visit New Delhi if India first stopped brutalities on the people in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and restore the special status of the Valley, he said. Qureshi, however, made it clear that Pakistan is not in a hurry. “India would have to show some flexibility for talks on all the issues, including Kashmir, Siachen, water, Sir Creek and others as a war was no solution to resolve the same,” he added.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government in New Delhi could not suppress the Kashmiris’ indigenous freedom movement through brutal acts. The whole world, including the European Union and human rights organizations are questioning India over the worst rights abuses in the occupied valley, he said, adding that he even did not express his desire for a meeting with his Indian foreign minister at Dushanbe (Tajikistan), where the two were present to attend a conference. He said the ceasefire at the Line of Control, which had come into effect recently, was benefiting the people from both sides of the divide.
The foreign minister said Pakistan had opened the Kartarpur Corridor as a goodwill gesture. They would welcome the Sikh community for ‘Vaisakhi’ (Baisakhi) celebrations if they were allowed by the Indian government.
To a question about the recent visit of Russian foreign minister to Pakistan, Qureshi said both the countries decided to further cement their ties. A meeting would be held in Moscow during the current year to promote economic relations and the prime minister had issued special directives for its preparations, he added.
He said Russia has offered cooperation in defence filed by provision of equipment to enhance counter terrorism capacity of Pakistani law enforcement agencies. It has also offered assistance for the uplift of railway infrastructure and energy sector, and revival of the Pakistan Steel Mills, which was installed by Russia, he added.
To a question, he said he has not yet talked to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser regarding the issue of permission not given by the Afghan authorities to the aeroplane with a parliamentary delegation aboard to land at the Kabul airport. The Afghan government, he said, has taken notice of the matter and initial reports suggested that there was some security issue. Pakistan wanted friendship with a peaceful, stable, prosperous and developed Afghanistan, he added.