ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged the United States to play role in addressing the worsening Palestine crisis and restore peace in the region.
Talking to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone, FM Qureshi said it was up to the international community to take concrete measures to stop the bloodbath in Palestine.
He said, “Israel is violating human rights laws in Gaza.’ Israel’s aggression in Gaza should stop instantly, FM Qureshi stressed. Qureshi and Blinken, according to a readout issued by the Foreign Office, also spoke about “bilateral relations and important regional developments.”
The foreign minister told his US counterpart that Pakistan wanted ties based on “close economic cooperation, enhanced regional connectivity and a common vision for a peaceful South Asia”.
Productive call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi about progress on Pakistan’s counterterrorism commitments, continuing cooperation on Afghan peace, and supporting regional stability. I look forward to continuing to work together in partnership.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 16, 2021
He informed Blinken about the recent shift in the focus of the Pakistan government’s foreign policy to geo-economics. The new vision, he said, rested on “three central pillars of peace, development partnerships and connectivity”.
The conversation between the two foreign ministers happened as fighting resumed between the Taliban and the Afghan government at the end of their three-day Eid ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan.
“Foreign Minister Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Afghan peace process while underscoring that achieving a peaceful political solution in Afghanistan was the shared responsibility of all Afghan parties as well as the key international and regional stakeholders,” the FO said in the statement.
Qureshi emphasized the importance of “responsible withdrawal” of the US and other foreign forces from Afghanistan and noted that reduction in violence, permanent ceasefire, and securing an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement was “indispensable”.
He recalled the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and efforts made for strengthening the anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering regimes. “He reaffirmed the resolve to continue efforts in this regard,” the FO said.
This was the second telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers sinceBlinken took office in January. Their first call on Jan 29 was overshadowed by the Supreme Court’s decision to release Omar Saeed Sheikh, who is accused of abducting and murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl.
