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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it means de-escalation of ties between the two countries.
Speaking to Geo News, the foreign minister said, "I have just received the [Indian] dossier and have not gotten the chance to examine it. We briefed parliamentary leaders last night, there was a meeting of the cabinet. There is the joint session. I will still say that we will see and examine the dossier with an open heart. I wish they [India] would have sent this dossier earlier. They attacked first and then sent the dossier. If they would have sent the dossier first and sought Pakistan’s answer there would be no need for an attack.”
"We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation and peace," he added. "We are ready for all positive engagement."
The foreign minister further said, "If Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready, Prime Minister Imran Khan is willing to talk to him."
Asserting that Pakistan has been calling for peace since day one, Qureshi said, "If India wants to talk about terrorism then we are ready."
"You [India] want to risk regional stability for politics," he said and added that "it could be the need of politics but history will not forgive you".
"Our wish is peace and stability is our top priority," he maintained.
Qureshi questioned, "God forbid there is a war, Pakistan will be affected but will India's economy not suffer?"
The foreign minister further stated, "I have received a message that the Saudi foreign minister is departing for Pakistan."
Lamenting that India rejected talks with Pakistan earlier, Qureshi said, "Had Indian foreign minister held talks with me in New York, I would have told her this is a Naya Pakistan."
Regarding Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj attending the meeting of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) next month, Qureshi said, "India is neither a member of OIC nor an observer."
"The host country had invited the Indian foreign minister as a guest speaker for one inaugural session. I have spoken to the UAE minister and apprised him of Pakistan's reservations and told him that he should have spoken to us before inviting Swaraj."
In response to a question regarding closure of Pakistan's airspace, the foreign minister said, "The airspace has been closed for national and passenger security. It was SOP. We want the airspace to open at the earliest."
"I will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj," Qureshi asserted.
The foreign minister, while speaking to a private news channel this morning, once again invited India for talks and said dialogue is the only civilised way forward. “If India showed aggression, we showed defence,” Qureshi asserted.
Stating that “we are not stuck in the past,” Qureshi said, “We want peace in the region. There is no growth from war, only a decline in happiness.”
The foreign minister continued, “India cannot solve the Kashmir issue through strength. We are ready to talk on the issues of Kashmir and terrorism with India. They can come and sit down and we will have a dialogue."
Upholding that war is not the solution, FM Qureshi added, “After destruction, you also have to sit down for talks. Civilised dialogue is the only way forward.”
“India’s policy is not beneficial anymore. We are losing Kahsmiris,” he stressed.
The foreign minister also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Pakistan and India tensions.
Addressing a news conference in Hanoi after a meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the US president opened his remarks by discussing the situation with India and Pakistan. "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India," he said.
"They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop and we have some reasonably decent news hopefully that will be coming to an end. It’s been going on for a long time for decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately so we have been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organisation and some peace. And I think that is probably going to be happening,” the US president said.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/229595-world-moves-forward-thrugh-dialogie-india-should?5c779f13deb58
Speaking to Geo News, the foreign minister said, "I have just received the [Indian] dossier and have not gotten the chance to examine it. We briefed parliamentary leaders last night, there was a meeting of the cabinet. There is the joint session. I will still say that we will see and examine the dossier with an open heart. I wish they [India] would have sent this dossier earlier. They attacked first and then sent the dossier. If they would have sent the dossier first and sought Pakistan’s answer there would be no need for an attack.”
"We are willing to return the captured Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation and peace," he added. "We are ready for all positive engagement."
The foreign minister further said, "If Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready, Prime Minister Imran Khan is willing to talk to him."
Asserting that Pakistan has been calling for peace since day one, Qureshi said, "If India wants to talk about terrorism then we are ready."
"You [India] want to risk regional stability for politics," he said and added that "it could be the need of politics but history will not forgive you".
"Our wish is peace and stability is our top priority," he maintained.
Qureshi questioned, "God forbid there is a war, Pakistan will be affected but will India's economy not suffer?"
The foreign minister further stated, "I have received a message that the Saudi foreign minister is departing for Pakistan."
Lamenting that India rejected talks with Pakistan earlier, Qureshi said, "Had Indian foreign minister held talks with me in New York, I would have told her this is a Naya Pakistan."
Regarding Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj attending the meeting of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) next month, Qureshi said, "India is neither a member of OIC nor an observer."
"The host country had invited the Indian foreign minister as a guest speaker for one inaugural session. I have spoken to the UAE minister and apprised him of Pakistan's reservations and told him that he should have spoken to us before inviting Swaraj."
In response to a question regarding closure of Pakistan's airspace, the foreign minister said, "The airspace has been closed for national and passenger security. It was SOP. We want the airspace to open at the earliest."
"I will not hesitate to meet but OIC is not the forum for talks with Swaraj," Qureshi asserted.
The foreign minister, while speaking to a private news channel this morning, once again invited India for talks and said dialogue is the only civilised way forward. “If India showed aggression, we showed defence,” Qureshi asserted.
Stating that “we are not stuck in the past,” Qureshi said, “We want peace in the region. There is no growth from war, only a decline in happiness.”
The foreign minister continued, “India cannot solve the Kashmir issue through strength. We are ready to talk on the issues of Kashmir and terrorism with India. They can come and sit down and we will have a dialogue."
Upholding that war is not the solution, FM Qureshi added, “After destruction, you also have to sit down for talks. Civilised dialogue is the only way forward.”
“India’s policy is not beneficial anymore. We are losing Kahsmiris,” he stressed.
The foreign minister also welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement on Pakistan and India tensions.
Addressing a news conference in Hanoi after a meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the US president opened his remarks by discussing the situation with India and Pakistan. "We have reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India," he said.
"They have been going at it and we have been involved in trying to have them stop and we have some reasonably decent news hopefully that will be coming to an end. It’s been going on for a long time for decades and decades. There is a lot of dislike unfortunately so we have been in the middle trying to help them both out, see if we can get some organisation and some peace. And I think that is probably going to be happening,” the US president said.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/229595-world-moves-forward-thrugh-dialogie-india-should?5c779f13deb58
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