Tag: Foreign Minister

  • ‘World should not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan’: Shah Mahmood to Antony Blinken

    ‘World should not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan’: Shah Mahmood to Antony Blinken

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a meeting with the United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York.

    This is the first meeting between the two top diplomats. Their meeting focused on Afghanistan.

    FM Qureshi said that a new political reality had emerged in Afghanistan, and that “while the Taliban should be held to their commitments, the international community has a moral obligation to help the Afghan people deal with the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.”

    He hoped that the world would not repeat the mistake of disengaging with Afghanistan as it did in the 1990s.

    Secretary Blinken appreciated Pakistan’s support for the evacuation of US citizens and other nationals from Afghanistan and its continued efforts for peace in the region.

    He added: “Pakistan has long desired high-level contacts with the US leadership, particularly after the collapse of the US-backed government in Kabul.”

  • Blasphemy protests: Qureshi wants non-existent Pakistani envoy back from France

    Blasphemy protests: Qureshi wants non-existent Pakistani envoy back from France

    As calls for a boycott of France grow following the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Pakistan parliament has passed a resolution, urging the state to recall its ambassador stationed in Paris.

    However, the resolution moved by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi willfully ignored the fact that Pakistan has no ambassador in Paris for the past three months. Moin-ul-Haq, who was heading the Pakistani mission in France, was transferred to China in August.

    In the absence of the ambassador, Muhammad Amjad Aziz Qazi, who is deputy head of the mission, is looking after the affairs of the embassy till the new appointment.

    Geo News reported FM Qureshi was aware of the fact that the Pakistan embassy in France is without an ambassador but he didn’t oblige the house by passing on the information.

    The resolution didn’t mention the expulsion of the French envoy in Islamabad as it thinks it would be an “extreme step”.

    On Monday, Pakistan had summoned French envoy to register a protest for hurting sentiments of Muslims around the world.

    Qureshi had said that it was time to make a collective decision on the sensitive issue. “Civilised nations should respect Muslim sentiments,” he had added.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has also condemned Macron, saying that the French president “attacked Islam” by encouraging the display of the blasphemous caricatures.

  • Foreign Minister Qureshi likely to be replaced by Shireen Mazari as govt, army mend Riyadh ties: report

    Foreign Minister Qureshi likely to be replaced by Shireen Mazari as govt, army mend Riyadh ties: report

    Rumours regarding the removal of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, ever since his statement regarding ditching Saudi Arabia for Kashmir’s sake, have gone rife in the federal capital as reports claim he is likely to be replaced by Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari amid Islamabad’s attempts to mend ties with Riyadh.

    Qureshi had earlier this month accused the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) of dilly-dallying on the Kashmir issue in remarks that were seen by Riyadh as an attack on its leadership of the organisation.

    “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” Qureshi had said during an interview.

    Days after his statement, as diplomatic strains occur between Islamabad and Riyadh over the Kashmir issue, it was announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will be visiting Saudi Arabia to discuss regional security issues and Kashmir dispute with the Saudi leadership.

    “Yes, he [Gen Bajwa] is travelling,” the Pakistan Army spokesperson told the foreign media outlet, adding that the visit was pre-planned and “primarily military affairs oriented”.

    However, reports had said that while the two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis, Riyadh is irked by criticism from Islamabad that Saudi Arabia has been lukewarm on the Kashmir territorial dispute, motivating COAS Bajwa’s fence-building visit Sunday.

    Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari publicly criticised Qureshi, saying his statements had let down both the Kashmiris and PM Imran.

    While her statement was seen as the first step to replace Qureshi in a bid to pacify the Saudis, it suggests that the Imran Khan government is publicly distancing itself from the actions and statements of the incumbent foreign minister.

    If there is any truth to the claims, it won’t be the first time cash-strapped Pakistan will be prioritising relations with Saudi Arabia, as most recently, Islamabad had also pulled out of a Muslim nations’ forum in Malaysia at the last minute on insistence by Riyadh, which saw the gathering as an attempt to challenge its leadership of the OIC.

    Saudia Arabia had already made Pakistan pay back $1 billion two weeks ago, forcing it to borrow from another close ally, China, and Riyadh is yet to respond to Pakistan’s request to extend the oil credit facility.

  • VIDEO: FM Qureshi says Pakistan ready to ‘ditch’ Saudi Arabia for Kashmir’s sake

    In what appears to be a major foreign policy shift for Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has asked Saudi Arabia-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to stop dragging feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on the Kashmir issue.

    “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the CFM is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” he said while speaking to a private media outlet.

    When asked if Pakistan will “move forward” with or without Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister said, “with or without…”. In response to another question, he said Pakistan could not wait any further.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to Dawn, Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers’ meeting of the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations (UN), since India annexed occupied Kashmir in August 2019.

    Qureshi had at an earlier presser explained the importance of CFM for Pakistan. He had then said that it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah on the Kashmir issue.

    Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York since last August and OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission has made statements on the rights abuses in the occupied valley, but no progress could be made towards the CFM meeting.

    A major reason behind the failure to call the foreign ministers’ meeting has been Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept Pakistan’s request for one specifically on Kashmir. Riyadh’s support is crucial for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

    Qureshi said Pakistan skipped Kuala Lumpur Summit last December on Saudi request and now Pakistani Muslims, who are ready to lay down their lives for the Kingdom, are demanding of Riyadh to “show leadership on the issue”.

    “We have our own sensitivities. You have to realise this. Gulf countries should understand this,” the foreign minister said, adding that he could no more indulge in diplomatic niceties.

    “We cannot stay silent anymore on the sufferings of the Kashmiris,” he said.

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi rubbishes rumours of his death after Wikipedia page edited

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi rubbishes rumours of his death after Wikipedia page edited

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who contracted COVID-19 last week, has rubbished rumours of his death after his Wikipedia profile was edited, and said there was no truth to them.

    In a statement issued on Thursday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that “mischievous” elements had edited Qureshi’s profile on the site. “Many complications were created, and it caused distress to my loved ones and family members,” FM Qureshi said in a separate statement, adding that he also started receiving phone calls.

    “There is no truth to these reports, and I am doing well,” he said.

    While Qureshi did not specify the changes that were made, the page’s history showed that the edits were made on July 5 to reflect that the foreign minister had died on July 4.

    “We strongly condemn attempts by mischievous elements to hack [the] Wikipedia page of the foreign minister and spread rumours on social media about his health and well-being,” said FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui in a tweet.

    “By the grace of Almighty Allah, [Qureshi] is recovering fast. Everyone’s prayers, from Pakistan and abroad, are deeply appreciated.”

    The FM had tested positive for coronavirus on July 3 and announced quarantining himself.

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi in self-isolation after China return

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi in self-isolation after China return

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who on Wednesday morning returned from his trip to Beijing, has confirmed that he is in self-isolation as per instructions of the Pakistani government.

    Speaking to SAMAA TV, FM Qureshi, who was accompanied by President Arif Alvi and Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, said that he had self-isolated himself since the government had advised everyone returning from abroad to self-isolate in case they had contracted the new coronavirus — COVID-19.

    “Before leaving we did a swab test here and when we landed, Chinese officials took our blood samples. They both came back negative and we took another blood test after our meeting with President Xi Jinping. The results of the second test haven’t come back yet,” the minister said.

    However, he decided to isolate himself as a precaution for a few days. “My only interactions are over the phone,” he said, adding that he would undergo another swab test within five days. “I am going to follow protocol.”

    The delegation had on Monday reached China on a two-day visit at the invitation of the Chinese president.

    It was warmly welcomed by Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Han Changfu, Pakistan Ambassador to China Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi and other senior officials of the Chinese government as well as the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing.

    Other than signing multiple agreements to enhance cooperation between the two countries, the visit was aimed at expressing solidarity with China amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak.