News Desk |
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that violation of Line of Control is an act of aggression and violence against Pakistan and Pakistan will respond to it.
Addressing a press conference after the National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Qureshi said, “PM has directed that all elements of national power, including armed forces and people of Pakistan, to remain prepared for all eventualities. He decided to engage the global leadership to expose the irresponsible Indian policy in the region. PM appreciated the timely and effective response of Pakistan Air Force to repulse Indian attempt without any loss of life or property.”
FM Qureshi informed that a joint parliamentary session is in order to “take the nation on board” and Prime Minister Khan has summoned a special meeting of the National Command Authority on the 27thof February (tomorrow). Outlining the developments that took place in the NSC meeting, Qureshi stated, “In today’s meeting, there is a unanimous agreement that this is an act of aggression and violence against Pakistan, and Pakistan will respond to it. As a democracy, it is important to respect the parliament; hence a joint session will be called. A three-bench committee, consisting of Defence Minister Khattak, Finance Minister Asad Umar and me (Foreign Minister Qureshi) has been formed to refer the parliamentary committee and inform them of this unfolding situation”.
Qureshi stated that this invitation was not mentioned in his telephonic conversation with the UAE Foreign Minister a day ago, and upon questioning Pakistan’s ambassador to UAE, he was also not informed of this invitation.
FM Qureshi continued, “It has been decided that Pakistani and international media will be taken to the site, and helicopters are on standby to take journalists to the site and unveil Indian propaganda. Voices from within India are also emerging to call out Indian propaganda; Mehbooba Mufti has also falsified the fabricated version of Indian claims.
It has been decided to take representatives of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to the site, so report back to the United Nations and their organizations of Indian violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty”
OIC’s Invitation to Sushma Swaraj
“It has been decided that Prime Minister and Foreign Office will engage with the international community, and before this press, I spoke to the Turkish Foreign Minister, and I have briefed him on the entire situation. On Pakistan’s request, today an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting of the Kashmir Contact Group is ongoing in Jeddah, and Foreign Secretary Miss Tehmina Janjua is representing Pakistan at the conference.”
Read more: Pakistan reserves the right of befitting response to India: FM Qureshi
Referring to OIC’s invitation to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Qureshi stated, ‘Yesterday evening, I spoke to the Foreign Minister of UAE, and in a detailed conversation we discussed the meeting on Council of Foreign Ministers, and their invitation to Indian FM Swaraj, and presented them Pakistan’s apprehensions over this invitation. I informed them that Pakistan was not consulted on the agenda of this meeting”.
Qureshi noted that this development was first reported by Indian media and then confirmed by their Ministry of External Affairs, and later, the “UAE’s in charge of West-Asia contacted our ambassador to confirm the guest of honor invitation that was extended to Sushma Swaraj for the inaugural session of the OIC”. Qureshi stated that this invitation was not mentioned in his telephonic conversation with the UAE Foreign Minister a day ago, and upon questioning Pakistan’s ambassador to UAE, he was also not informed of this invitation. “We were not taken in the loop”
FM Qureshi stated that the UAE Foreign Minister was informed of Pakistan’s views on the matter, and Prime Minister Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with Crown Prince UAE Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zaahid and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to inform them of Pakistan’s apprehensions and views on the OIC meeting. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir was also informed of Pakistan’s views.
In New Delhi, Kashmiri youth is attacked, a Muslim journalist and Kashmiri lawyer is attacked and beaten in Pune, despite the fact that they have no connection with Pulwama, and their only crime is being a Muslim and Kashmiri.
Qureshi asserted, “Today, the situation has changed considerably. Yesterday, I was reviewing that a non-member and non-observer state has been invited to a meeting without consultations.” FM Qureshi stated that Pakistan’s apprehensions over India’s invitation to the OIC conference were presented to the UAE Foreign Ministry, and they were briefed on “Pakistan’s red lines”.
“Today, a founding member of the OIC has become a victim of aggression, and Indian-Muslims and Muslims of Indian-occupied Kashmir are being rampantly targeted. The attack takes place in Pulwama, but its reaction is observed throughout the 10 states of India as we see Kashmiri students studying on Indian scholarships being targeted and attacked, and forced to hide in their rented rooms to save their lives. In New Delhi, Kashmiri youth is attacked, a Muslim journalist and Kashmiri lawyer is attacked and beaten in Pune, despite the fact that they have no connection with Pulwama, and their only crime is being a Muslim and Kashmiri”
Qureshi raised an important question, “How can an organization representing Muslims and their voice invite a state that rubbishes, ridicules and rejects OIC resolutions on Kashmir and stages aggression against Muslims. I request that in light of these recent developments, OIC must reevaluate the situation.”
Read more: Indian aircraft violate LoC, forced back by timely response: DG ISPR
Qureshi reinstated the decision to brief the parliamentary leadership and take them into confidence by presenting the exact developments undertaken and observed by the Foreign Ministry, DG Military Operations, and Deputy Chief of Air Staff. “It is our responsibility to provide the Pakistani nation with accurate facts. The current government is fully capable of performing its responsibilities. PM Imran Khan’s statements, issued on 21st February, were lauded throughout Pakistan and the International community for the offers of engagement, peace, investigations, commitment and resolve to defend Pakistan in case of aggression. It was lauded as a balanced statement”.
Pakistan Unveils Indian Propaganda in International Community
FM Qureshi continued, “In the past few days, I have been in touch with multiple foreign ministers across the world via phone calls to inform them of the Indian intentions. Pulwama attack takes place on 14th February, and weeks before that, we invited P5 ambassadors to bring our fears on record that Modi will undertake some misadventure for its political gains in the upcoming election.”
Referring to BJP’s electoral failure in 5 Indian states, it was evident that “they needed to create a bogey to ensure their political survival and for winning the support and vote of the extreme right, what can be a better tactic than Pakistan bashing?”
Qureshi stated that this situation is unfolding and “at the political, diplomatic and military levels, Pakistan is building its effort to defend itself and respond to it”.
Qureshi noted that Pakistan’s leadership was well aware of these political ambitions of the BJP leadership, and thus, “We informed all the P5 ambassadors, and through telegrams, all Pakistani foreign missions were instructed to engage with their designated governments, media and diplomatic community to provide accurate facts of the situation.”
Recalling his trips to multiple countries for regional outreach including Kabul, Muscat, and Doha, Qureshi stated that on his trip to Moscow, he informed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Indian intentions of misadventures and urged Russia to play a role in counseling New Delhi to disband such intentions.
He further informed that a day after the Pulwama attack, the German Foreign Minister was briefed on Pakistan’s stance. He added that European Union Higher Representatives of Foreign Affairs Federica Moghering was briefed on the situation in a detailed telephonic conversation, along with briefing the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Minister of China, Japan, and several other countries.
Read more: Indian defense ministry unaware of LoC violation
Referring to his long telephonic conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qureshi noted, “I was aware of a tri-lateral meeting in Beijing between India, China, and Russia, and I wanted to present Pakistan’s stance before New Delhi has a chance to pollute their minds with its fabricated stories.”
Qureshi stated that this situation is unfolding and “at the political, diplomatic and military levels, Pakistan is building its effort to defend itself and respond to it”.
PAF’s Alertness & Preparedness
Responding to a question Pakistan Air Force’s “failure to combat the Indian aircraft”, Qureshi corrected the viewpoint, “The Pakistan Air force was already airborne, and we were ready for all eventualities, and the plan was an attempt of multi-dimensional intrusion. They failed due to Pakistan Air Force’s timely interference, and the few aircraft that entered were forced out within three minutes. They turned their aircraft from the LoC and ran away because of the alertness of the Pakistan Air Force”.
Read more: Pakistan to respond India at time and place of its choosing:…
In response to a comment on the future of the Kartarpur Corridor, “Kartarpur was a desire, and Pakistan fulfilled that desire with a message for peace, and Pakistan has never shied away from extending offers for peace, nor has it ever been bullied by aggression”.
Qureshi stated, “We opened the corridors to Kartarpur, not to close them again. If only India could open up their minds to peace, which closed due to the obsessions of political mileage. For the ambition of electoral wins and leadership, the BJP leadership is akin to a mad elephant that is trampling others for its political ambitions”.
Mina Jahangir with additional input by News Desk.