Don’t judge Pak-US ties through media: FM

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton termed 3rd round of Pak-US strategic dialogue ‘useful’, however, she was of the view that settlement to all issues could not be reached, Geo News reported.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi warned the world against being influenced by concocted messages sent through media over Pak-US relationships.

Meanwhile, stressing that recent violence against people in the Indian occupied Kashmir that has threatened South Asian peace prospects, Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked US President Barack Obama to take up the longstanding dispute with India during his upcoming visit to the country in November.

“President Obama has always understood the importance of a Kashmir solution, his coming visit to the region, is the time to begin to redeem the pledge that he made earlier,” Qureshi said, co-chairing the concluding session of the 3rd round of the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“Pakistan and the United States have a shared interest, in a peaceful and stable South Asia. Unfortunately, this prospect is threatened again, by the recent events in Kashmir,” Qureshi said, “People of conscience have protested the use of force against the defense-less people of Kashmir, in particular the targeting of the Kashmiri youths, which has claimed over 100 Kashmiri lives in the past three months. But the Kashmiri mothers are baffled, at the deafening silence of the world leadership,” Qureshi said.

“History has proved, that the forces of arms, cannot suppress the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people”, the chief Pakistani diplomat pointed out. “It is in US strategic interest, to work for peace, stability and resolution of dispute in South Asia. The starting point in this quest, is justice for the Kashmiri people,” Qureshi stated.

The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to root out terrorism, saying the country will not provide any space to terrorists. “I wish to assure you, that Pakistan will not allow any space to terrorists, on its territory. Violence against innocent people is unacceptable. It cannot be justified on any ground,” he said.

“As such, there is no distinction between good and bad terrorists. Pakistan and the United State share the goal of defeating terrorism. This requires close contacts, and constant coordination, at the policy and at the operational levels,” Qureshi underscored.

The top Pakistani and US officials sat alternately beside in two rows flanking the co-chairs in the State Department’s Benjamin Franklin room. The Pakistani side included Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Agriculture Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Adviser to Prime Minister on Social Issues Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali. Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff, were seated in alternately mixed arrangement.

The US side included Special Representative Richard Holbrooke, USAID Administrator Rajev Shah, Secretary Agriculture Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Treasury Wolin. Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani and new US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter were among the senior officials attending the plenary session of the third ministerial-level strategic dialogue. In his remarks, Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked the United States for lending generous assistance in flood relief and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, another report says; the United States wants to see the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan resolved and was encouraging the South Asian neighbours to hold further dialogue towards that end, State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley said Thursday.

“We recognise the importance of Kashmir to both countries. We absolutely want to see tensions eased and ultimately a resolution to the situation in Kashmir,” the spokesman said in response to a question about Pakistan’s plea to the United States to play a role in resolving the decades-old dispute.

“That we believe needs to come through additional dialogue between Pakistan and India. We have not been asked by both countries to play a particular role,” he said. “But this is the reason why, for a number of reasons, we continue to encourage further dialogue between India and Pakistan.”

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been urging Washington to help resolve the Kashmir dispute with India. “It is in the interest of lasting peace, stability and development of the region that the US works for the resolution of disputes in South Asia. This has to begin with justice for the Kashmiri people,” he said at the Brookings Institute Wednesday.

More than 100 people, mostly teenagers, seeking an end to India’s occupation of Kashmir, have been killed by Indian security forces. Human rights organizations have denounced India’s strong arm methods and the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has repeatedly called for an end to violence in Kashmir.