By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday asserted that Pakistan will never recognise Isreal while reaffirming the country’s stance on the issue.
Qureshi, according to Radio Pakistan, strongly a the statements attributed to him and the prime minister about the recognition of Israel and said there is no truth in them.
“I want to make it clear that the rumours of recognising Israel are baseless and not true,” the federal minister said in his policy statement in the National Assembly, adding that Pakistan was and to date a supporter of the two-state ideology.
Reiterating that Pakistan, by no means, will recognise Israel under the influence of any Arab country, the foreign minister asserted that the incumbent government’s position on Palestine is the same as that of the former governments of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
“We want a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue and demand that Al-Quds Al-Sharif should be the capital of Palestine,” FM Qureshi added. Reaffirming Pakistan’s unflinching support to Kashmiris, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that Islamabad does not accept India’s 5th August illegal steps in the occupied valley, media reported.
Addressing the National Assembly session, FM Qureshi condemned the India’s unilateral move on Kashmir, adding that it was contrary to UN charter and international laws.
He maintained that a political committee is being constituted to formulate a joint way forward on critical issues of national interests including the outstanding Kashmir dispute. The foreign minister said Pakistan has a unanimous stance on the Kashmir issue.
He clarified that Pakistan is part of the group which opposes the permanent membership of India in the UN Security Council. He, however, said non-permanent seat in the security council is given on rotational basis and Pakistan also remained the world body’s non-permanent member in the past. The Foreign Minister also strongly rejected the statements attributed to him and the Prime Minister about the recognition of Israel. He said there is no truth in them. He said Pakistan has a historic stance on the issue and supports a two-state solution with Al-Quds Al-sharif as the capital of Palestinian state.
