ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India need to engage in meaningful discussion on confidence building measures, arms race and strategic stability in South Asia.
During weekly media briefing here Thursday Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said Pakistan was committed to its policy of peaceful neighborhood while India’s posture including its false claims of surgical strike and unprecedented escalation on the Line of Control and Working Boundary were threats to peace.
Replying to questions, he said as responsible member of the international community, Pakistan believed in peace but at the same time our armed forces were fully prepared and competent to defend the country against all threats.
“Indian xenophobic posture is threatening to regional peace and tranquility, also developments like testing of missiles underscore the need for two countries to engage in meaningful discussion”, he added.
He said Pakistan and the United States were engaged in a comprehensive dialogue to bridge gap between perceptions of the two countries on different issues.
He said two sides were trying to reach a consensus on how to move forward.
He said the process of renewed engagement started when Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met American leadership on sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session in New York.
“This was followed by exchange of several visits by senior officials of the two countries and delegation level talks,” he added.
He said the US Congress had authorized reimbursement of 700 million dollars under Coalition Support Fund.
The spokesperson said Pakistan also wants to restart of strategic dialogue between the two countries that had wider avenues for cooperation.
To a question he said Indian attempts to damage CPEC could not deter Pakistan and China from working on economic and trade development as well as connectivity under the project.
Replying to another query, he said the government of Pakistan had offered to arrange a meeting of Indian Spy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds.
The spokesman condemned Indian atrocities against people of occupied Kashmir and urged human rights defenders to stand up for oppressed Kashmiris.
In response of a question, he said Pakistan was in touch with SAARC Secretariat and member states for early holding of summit of the organization in Pakistan.
He said presence of terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan was a reality.
He said report of the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction had confirmed that more than 43% of Afghan territory was not under the control of the government.
He said Pakistan appreciated steps taken by the UK government in connection with anti-Pakistan propaganda through London cabs, which was violation of UN Charter.
