ISLAMABAD - Pakistan said yesterday that it was committed to multilateralism on the Afghanistan issue. Speaking at the weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan is party to several bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral and multilateral mechanisms for dialogue and these include the Moscow format, and SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan. Regarding the security meeting currently underway in Moscow, she said, it was “not a meeting of the Moscow Format, of which Pakistan is an active member. Pakistan will continue to participate in and play its role in all such mechanisms and initiatives that we think would contribute to peace and security in Afghanistan.” “Our decision not to participate in the instant meeting was made in light of our consideration that Pakistan can make a better contribution in formats and forums which can contribute constructively to peace in Afghanistan,” she added.
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FO spokesperson said during these meetings, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and expressed its desire to forge a mutually beneficial relationship with the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and member countries. “It is committed to promoting regional development through improved connectivity especially in its capacity as the Prime Mover for the Pillar of Connectivity and the Co-Prime Mover for the Pillar of Culture and Tourism in the ACD,” she added. Baloch said that Pakistan participated in the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), preparatory to the upcoming OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held from February5-7, 2023, in Jeddah. “The Senior Officials discussed key issues and challenges confronting the Islamic world including Palestine, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Mali and Yemen. The recent racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic acts of the desecration of the Holy Quran in Europe and situation of minorities in non-OIC countries were also discussed,” she elaborated.
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On Kashmir, she said, an eviction drive was underway in many parts of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). “This is the latest in a series of measures aimed at dispossessing the Kashmiri people of their land. Unfortunately, most of the people facing the brunt of the eviction drive are poor and Muslims. Their rights need to be protected,” she added. The FO spokesperson said in the recent years, in some states of India, bulldozers had been used to demolish properties of Muslims to terrorise them. “Regrettably, that model is now being replicated in IIOJK. It is unfortunate that Indian authorities are using land as a weapon to intimidate the people of IIOJK. We continue to witness disturbing developments in IIOJK. A few days ago, the Indian occupation authorities attacked the office building of the All Parties Hurriat Conference (APHC) in Rajbagh area of Srinagar. Pakistan condemns this oppressive act, which constitutes yet another assault on political freedoms in IIOJK,” Baloch said.
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She added: “We believe that the confiscation of the brick-and-mortar buildings cannot coerce the freedom-loving people into subjugation. Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri brethren for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.” Regarding the proposed visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Turkiye, she said that the dates for the visit are under consideration. “The visit will take place once that decision is taken,” she said. Pakistan, she maintained, was making efforts to be helpful to Turkiye amid the earthquake destruction. Asked about the complaints from the Pakistani Consulates in US and Europe that salaries have not been paid to MRP staff for 7 months due to shortage of dollars, she said, this process of transmission of funds faces backlogs sometimes. The requisite funds are given to the missions as soon as these backlogs are removed. I am not aware of a particular systemic holdup at this stage,” she said.
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