-Reiterates Pakistan’s position on Israel issue
-Says won’t recognize until a just solution achieved for Palestine
-Rejects the notion of Saudi putting pressure on Pakistan
-Announces top Saudi delegation’s visit to Pakistan
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday reiterated his position regarding the possibility of Pakistan normalising diplomatic ties with Israel and said Islamabad was not under any external pressure to do so.
While Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel, a debate was sparked in November after Prime Minister Imran Khan during an interview revealed Islamabad was under pressure from “friendly nations” to accept Tel Aviv. While he did not disclose the identity, many believe the countries to be Arab states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which has recently formalised its relationship with the Jewish state.
In a statement, Qureshi said Pakistan’s position on Israel that it won’t recognise the country until a just solution of the Palestinian question is achieved was “clear and unequivocal”, and the government “sticks to it”.
Responding to the reports of a government delegation visiting Israel during either of the two terms of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the ’90s, the foreign minister demanded a clarification from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Following the report of him accompanying the delegation, Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Ajmal Qadri, while confirming the trip, claimed he “found Nawaz Sharif very passionate to develop a relationship with Israel”. During the visit, he said, he called on the top officials of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cabinet members. “The people of the [Pakistan’s] foreign ministry wanted to know if [Islamabad] could develop [a public] relationship with Israel,” Qadri told a private news channel. The foreign minister also rejected the notion of Saudi putting pressure on Pakistan in this regard, saying Islamabad enjoys historical ties with Riyadh. He further said an important delegation from the oil-rich Kingdom, including his Saudi counterpart, will soon visit Islamabad. “All this indicates that our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened,” he said.
Qureshi noted India was using its soil against Pakistan through the provision of training and financial assistance to terrorists and militant organisations. The foreign minister said he alarmed the international community through an evidence-based dossier that India could stage a false flag operation to divert global attention from its internal woes. He said the EU DisinfoLab report on the Indian disinformation network also unveiled New Delhi’s nefarious designs about Islamabad.
Referring to the opposition parties’ protest movement, he said the opposition’s narrative to bring the government under pressure has become ineffective. He said Prime Minister Imran enjoys public support, therefore, he won’t resign on the desire of the PDM alliance.
In response to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s threat of a long march to Islamabad, if the prime minister does not resign before January 31, Qureshi said: “[Even] with PDM protests, long marches and rallies, the government will not go anywhere.”
“I am telling PDM today that Prime Minister Imran Khan will not resign on January 31. Why are they waiting for January 31,” he questioned.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday a high-level Saudi delegation, including the Kingdom’s foreign minister, will be visiting Pakistan soon. In a statement, he said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have deep, historical and fraternal ties.The foreign minister said Pakistan is not facing any pressure to recognise Israel, adding Pakistan’s stance on Israel is clear.
FM Qureshi said India is using its land against Pakistan. He added India is training terrorists and sponsoring banned organisations as the EU DisinfoLab unveiled India’s nefarious designs about Pakistan.Referring to the opposition’s anti-government drive, the minister said the PDM-constituent parties’ narrative to bring the government under pressure has become ineffective. Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoys public support; therefore, why he should resign on the desire of the PDM, he asked.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India was conspiring to destabilize Pakistan as the government has solid evidences of Indian involvement in patronizing terrorists and other banned organizations in order to create unrest in Pakistan.
He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony at Union Council Multaniwala, here on Sunday.
On November 14, during a joint Press Conference with Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the government informed the international community about involvement of India in terror activities by sharing dossier.
India wanted to destabilize Pakistan, Qureshi said and adding that , however, It (India) will remain failed in its nefarious designs.
Foreign Minister said that India had earmarked billions of rupees to damage China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Similarly, FM added that India was also sabotaging peace process in Afghanistan.
“Disinfo Lab had exposed India’s conspiracies also. Due to inhuman measures by Modi government, the voices are also being heard against the fascist regime from inside India.Instead of addressing local issues, the Indian government was bent on hatching conspiracy against Pakistan. India’s nefarious designs could create law and order situation in the region and the consequence would be disastrous,” he said.
