-Urges Biden administration to recognize new realities
-Says India’s BJP is a new face of RSS
-Maintains support for minorit
From Our
Correspondent
MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday urged the new US administration of President Joe Biden to recognize that the world, Pakistan and specifically India have changed a lot in the last four years, hence any engagement and relations should be developed on the basis of new ground realities.
Addressing a press conference in Multan, Qureshi said he had a “short message” for the new US administration. “In (these) four years (since the previous Democrat administration) the world has changed, the region has changed and Pakistan has changed and you have to engage with this new Pakistan,” said Qureshi, further adding, “India has changed. Is it the same shining and secular India today? No.”
He pointed out that voices from within India were rising and confirming that it is not a secular India, it is “a new face of Hindutva, a new practical demonstration of the thinking of the RSS. Minorities in India are finding themselves to be insecure.”
The foreign minister said based on this new reality, the PTI government hoped to engage with the new US administration based on a “new approach and new guidelines”.
“I understand that there is a lot of similarity (between) the United States’ current thinking and our policies,” said Qureshi. He further mentioned that he had penned a letter to the incoming US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, updating him about the trajectory of Pakistan’s current policies and looked forward to having more talks on the issue with him in the coming days.
“We have made a very big shift, from a geo-strategic position to a geo-economic position,” said the foreign minister. Will never hurt interests of an allied state: In response to a question from a reporter regarding reservations of certain allied Arab states over recent decisions taken by Pakistan, the foreign minister clarified, “We haven’t signed any agreement that hurts the interests of an allied state.”
“We have never done, and will never do such an agreement which causes damage to any brother Muslim state.”
Qureshi pointed out Pakistan’s relationship with Azerbaijan in this regard. He said Turkey and Pakistan had openly supported and congratulated Azerbaijan on its “big success” in reclaiming its occupied territory. As a result of that support, Qureshi said, after Azerbaijan’s victory, the flags of Turkey and Pakistan were waved in the streets by the citizens of Azerbaijan. “We hadn’t handed them (flags), this was the people’s emotions, acceptance and tribute to Pakistan.”
He also addressed the recent restriction by the United Nations for its employees against travelling aboard any Pakistani airline and said it was a “temporary measure, not a permanent one” and the issue will soon be resolved. “We are sad and we are pained that these inadequacies were present in our system and because of that our airlines and genuine pilots faced difficulties.”
ies in India
-Calls upon US to adopt new approach, new guidelines
