Pakistan adheres to the policy of regional peace and stability: FO spokesperson

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office said Thursday that Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation along the China-India border areas and hoped that the issue was resolved through agreed understanding to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui hoped that issue between China and India was resolved in line with agreed understandings and established mechanisms to maintain peace and stability in the region. “We hope that under the impulse of BJP’s rightist ideology, peace and security in the region will not be further imperiled,” she added.

Responding to a query, Farooqui said that the annual sessions of National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), collectively called the ‘Two Sessions’, were important national events in China’s political system.

Pakistan’s position on Hong Kong is consistent and clear, she said, adding that Pakistan adheres to “One-China” policy.

“Hong Kong is a part of China and it is important for China to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and protect the lives of its citizens. We reaffirm that matters related to Hong Kong are China’s internal affairs. We believe it is important to uphold international law and adhere to the basic norm of non-interference,” she added.

Referring to the situations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she urged the world community to draw its attention to the children of occupied Kashmir who have been living in the mid of a brutal and repressive Indian regime for more than seven decades.

Coincided with International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, she said that children of occupied Kashmir have been the direct target of Indian violence and aggression as a means to control, silence and punish any dissent from their families and the local communities.

She said abduction and molestation of young boys and girls during mid-night raids and “Cordon and Search Operations” is the preferred punitive tool of the Indian occupation forces.

She said aggression against children reached an unprecedented height especially after the abrogation of the disputed territory’s special status on 5th August last year.

According to reports of independent voices within India, she pointed out around 13,000 boys were abducted after 5th August 2019, some as young as 14 years old.

These children were kept far away from their families in jails of Agra, Delhi and in Tihar, she added.

She said that the psychological trauma resulting from such brutalities committed against these vulnerable children will have long lasting effects on their lives and will compromise the full development of their personalities.

She urged the international community to come forward to protect the vulnerable children of occupied Kashmir and press upon India to ensure their protection and safeguard their fundamental rights.

Expressing deep concern over unabated extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and so-called anti-infiltration operations, she said, while the international community is pre-occupied with fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, India is busy intensifying its brutalization of the Kashmiri people.

The RSS-BJP combine stands exposed before the world for its illegal and inhuman actions and its crimes against humanity in occupied Kashmir, she added.

She said in recent days, the Vice President of the European Parliament, along with 14 Members of European Parliament, has addressed a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell, on the grim human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.

In their letter, she said the MPs have raised important points including that Kashmir has become one of the “world’s most militarized zones” and a “tremendously dangerous conflict flash point.”

She said that MPs also mentioned the imposition of de facto nine-month military lockdown, a stifling curfew, shutting down of telecommunications and internet, and arrest of political leaders.

Farooqui said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed another comprehensive communication to the UN Security Council president and the UN secretary general, apprising them of the latest situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

To a question about the situation in Afghanistan, she said that Pakistan has been following the developments on the implementation of US-Taliban Peace Agreement closely.

“We hope that the agreement will be implemented in its entirety at the earliest to pave the way for intra-Afghan negotiations,” he added.

She said that Pakistan believed that the ceasefire observed during the Eid holidays reflected a desire to work together for the sake of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

“We hope that this will lead to further implementation of the US-Taliban Peace Agreement leading to Intra-Afghan negotiations,” she added.

To another query, she said that Pakistan has made enormous contribution to the global fight against terrorism, adding Pakistan has also been a major victim of this scourge and has paid a huge price in terms of lost lives and cost to the economy.

However, we have managed to turn the situation around due to the concerted efforts and sacrifices of our security forces which have been fully backed by the nation, she added.

Recent developments regarding strict measures against all proscribed organizations, enforcement action against UN-designated entities are all reflective of Pakistan’s new direction and trajectory, she added.