LONDON: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the government was committed to grant voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and provide them facilities through various initiatives.
Addressing at a reception hosted by British-Pakistani leaders from London, the foreign minister lauded the outstanding contribution of the British Pakistani diaspora in cementing Pakistan-UK relations.
The event was attended by a large number of eminent members of the British Pakistani community including parliamentarians, academia, businesspersons and professionals.
The foreign minister apprised the participants of the steps taken by the government to facilitate overseas Pakistanis including granting them voting rights. He appreciated the buy-in of initiatives such as Roshan Digital Accounts on part of the community.
He asked the British Pakistani community to play its role in bringing to light the human rights and humanitarian abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
The foreign minister apprised them of the steps being taken by Pakistan to advance the Kashmir cause and raise awareness about the humanitarian and human rights situation in the occupied territory.
Qureshi said that Pakistan, relying on credible international sources, has recently compiled a dossier detailing over 3,000 war crimes perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces. He also lauded the recent debate in the British Parliament, laying bare once more the Indian atrocities in held Kashmir.
The foreign minister assured the Kashmiri leadership that Pakistan will continue to support the Kashmiris’ just struggle for self-determination till the realisation of their inalienable right in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
The foreign minister lauded the outstanding contribution of the British-Pakistani diaspora in cementing Pakistan-UK relations. The foreign minister briefed the community members about Pakistan’s perspective on the evolving situation in Afghanistan, where a new political reality had emerged.
He said it was imperative that the international community did not repeat past mistakes, stayed engaged, and acted to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
