No move under way to recognise Israel: FO – Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan made it clear on Thursday that there was no movement in progress to recognize Israel.

"…… such actions are part of unfounded propaganda. There are no changes in our policy. Our policy of non-recognition of Israel remains unchanged," Foreign Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal said in A weekly press conference.

The comments came in response to a question about whether Pakistan planned to recognize Israel at a time when the issue of diplomatic ties with Israel, once it was a taboo subject, seems to be open to public discourse after an article is published. Detailed in an Israeli newspaper. Making the rounds in social networks.

The spokesman rejects the reports that the FMs of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates said that the Kashmir dispute should not be linked to the umma

When asked to comment on the announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would immediately annex a part of the occupied West Bank (Jordan Valley) if he was re-elected next week, Dr. Faisal said: "We reject any measure that is illegal and dangerous escalation. By reaffirming our solidarity with the Palestinians, Pakistan reiterates its support for a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, based on internationally agreed parameters, the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital " .

On the recent cancellation of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and the Taliban leaders at Camp David, he said that Pakistan wanted all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from violence.

“We have encouraged and facilitated the Afghan peace process in good faith and as a shared responsibility. We will continue to monitor the situation and urge all parties to return to the negotiating table to bring the progress made in the talks so far to their logical conclusion. "

The FO spokesman said Pakistan has always maintained that the only solution to the Afghan conflict lies in a politically led negotiated agreement owned by the Afghans themselves. An army-centered approach has failed to achieve the desired results. "We hope that the peace talks between the United States and the Afghan Taliban will resume as soon as possible and the process will lead to intra-Afghan negotiations that are essential to find lasting and sustainable peace in Afghanistan." We hope that international stakeholders will maintain the momentum thus generated for a peaceful outcome in Afghanistan. ”

Kashmir dispute

He rejected as speculative the reports that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during their joint visit to Pakistan last week had emphasized that the dispute between Jammu and Kashmir should not be linked to the ummah.

“The legality and international legitimacy of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute derives from the UNSC resolutions. This is a well known fact. During the visit, the two ministers reaffirmed the solidarity of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with Pakistan and support for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir, ”he said.

Answering another question, he said that many countries have offered mediation between Pakistan and India. "However, we cannot move forward unless India agrees to accept these offers."

To another question, he said there was no return channel diplomacy between Pakistan and India.

In response to a question, Dr. Faisal said that Pakistan believes that unilateral actions taken by India on August 5 were illegal and illegitimate. There should be no change in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, as enshrined in the UNSC Resolutions.

In his opening speech, he said that the Indian occupation forces in their recent acts of state terrorism have martyred three cashmere in the so-called cordon and search operations, including Asrar Ahmad Khan, Reyaz Ahmad Thekri and Asif Maqbool Bhat in the cities of Handwara and Sopore. Kashmir held while hundreds suffered injuries. There are reports of more deaths, but due to the blackout of the complete communication, exact details of the valley do not appear.

He said that Kashmir, controlled by India, remains besieged and isolated from the rest of the world for 40 consecutive days as Indian occupation forces continue to impose an unprecedented military blockade and total repression of road networks and all means of communication, which runs the risk of people's lives. "These inhuman and unilateral actions of India continue without respite despite international condemnation and censorship."

Posted on Dawn, September 13, 2019