ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Tuesday has said India is involved in carrying out terrorism in order to obstruct the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Sartaj Aziz regretted India’s opposition to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which, he said, was aimed at obstructing Pakistan’s path towards progress and development. He said Pakistan sacrificed around 70,000 lives in fight against terrorism.
Addressing as chief guest at the International Conference on Strengthening Peace and Cooperation in South Asia Incentives and Constraints organised by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) the adviser said mutual conflicts among countries were a hurdle to progress and stability and had disturbed global peace for last one decade.
He said that Pakistan believes in peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity however, would not remain aloof to the risks of strategic imbalance in the region.
Sartaj Aziz called upon the international community to desist from policies and actions that undermine strategic stability in South Asia. He said India was also promoting arms race in the region however mentioned that Pakistan was maintaining minimum nuclear deterrence for peace and stability in the region.
He said inclusion of India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) would disturb balance of power in the region adding that Pakistan was advocating a non-discriminatory and criteria based approach by the NSG member countries.
Sartaj said Indian activism was a severe threat to region’s one billion population and said India was involved in carrying out terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan. He mentioned that besides committing violations at the Line of Control India was also using heavy weaponry at border with Pakistan.
He said Pakistan was making efforts for peace in Afghanistan in its own interest. Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz Tuesday said in the Senate that dossier on the activities of Kulbhushan Yadev, a serving Indian naval officer, caught red-handed while spying in Pakistan, will be presented to world fora shortly.
Aziz, while briefing the House over a report of the Senate’s committee of the whole that had made certain recommendations over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, said that almost all the recommendations made the by Senate panel, had been implemented.
He reiterated that Pakistan was ready for resumption of meaningful dialogue with India for resolution of all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said a full-time foreign minister would be appointed in future.
Aziz said in addition to intensity in Indian firing across the Line of Control (LoC), which had claimed 30 lives, including women and girls recently, Indian sub-marine had also violated Pakistan’s territorial waters, trampling international laws.
“The prime minister presented a dossier on Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir to UN Secretary General in September in New York. This dossier has been shared with other key countries and international organisations. Another dossier on the activities of Kulbushan Yadev will also be finalised in near future”, he added.
On a proposal to hiring international lobbyists and strategic communication firms and reactivate Pakistani community living abroad to change global narrative, he said that action was being taken, adding the role of international lobbyists had indeed become crucial to project our position and pursue foreign policy objectives.
“The missions are also keeping close liaison with the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora. Our missions abroad including in New Delhi are making outreach efforts to highlight the extremist Indian policies,” Aziz added.
About countering India’s initiatives to demoralize/isolate Pakistan particularly amongst neighbours of Pakistan, Saarc members and members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said that all out efforts were being made to counter the nefarious motives of India, and it would not succeed in its motives. “The efforts to cultivate Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Iran and the Central Asian republics plus Russia are being redoubled, for which parliamentarians and parliamentary committees playing important roles,” he added.
He said that Pakistan was making all outreach efforts to engage the international community including regional countries, adding we would continue to rely on support of our parliament and parliamentarians.
The adviser said that Pakistan was continuing to support all initiatives taken for peace and stability in the region, adding under the guidance of the prime minister, the government has pursued a policy of peaceful neighborhood since June 2013. “Pakistan remains actively involved in the Heart of Asia (Istanbul Process) as well as the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG). The Heart of Asia Ministerial meeting held in Islamabad in December 2015 was a success. Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and stability is evident from our decision to participate in the upcoming Heart of Asia Ministerial in Amritsar, India despite the postponement of Saarc Summit which was to be held in Islamabad at India’s behest”, he added.
About appointing a full-time foreign minister, he said that the adviser to the prime minister was a position equal to the foreign minister, and the adviser was treated as de facto foreign minister abroad. “But, a full time foreign minister will also be appointed in future”, he added.
Aziz said that Pakistan was ready to resume meaningful dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues including the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir through comprehensive and composite talks.
He said Pakistan had also welcomed UN Secretary General’s offer to use his good offices to resume dialogue between the two countries. He said Pakistan was committed to respect the understanding reached between the two countries in 2003 to observe ceasefire on LoC.
Aziz said that Pakistan wanted peace in the region and was fighting terrorism and there was no room for non-state actors on Pakistan’s soil, adding India could not revoke Indus Water Treaty unilaterally.
The Senate passed a unanimous resolution, condemning missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Makkah by launching a long-range ballistic missile from 500km over the border last month.
The resolution was moved by leader of the house Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq in the Senate, which stated that the Senate strongly condemns launching of ballistic missile towards Makkah on October 27, 2016 which was luckily intercepted by air defence forces of Saudi Arabia and destroyed.
The resolution called upon the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and UN Security Council to take serious notice of ‘flouting of inviolability of holy places which amounts to encroaching upon religious sanctity of one billion Muslims across the world as stipulated in international convention.’
“Representing the sentiments of Pakistanis and Muslim world as a whole, Senate strongly condemns such actions which amount to provoking the sentiments and feelings of Muslims,” it added.
It called upon the government to reassure its full support to Saudi Arabia towards protection of sanctity of the holy places which ties together the Muslims throughout the world.
The Senate passed four bills unanimously, which included: The Pakistan Engineering Council (Amendment) Bill 2016 The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2016, The Central law Officer (Amendment) Bill 2016 and The Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Source:- THE NEWS PK
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