Qureshi invites opposition to cooperate on national issues

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has invited the opposition to sit with the government and cooperate on issues of national importance as Pakistan is going through a “critical juncture” amid India’s attempts to diplomatically isolate the country. Pakistan is facing various challenges on the external front, including Indian aggression, attempts to isolate Pakistan at international level and efforts to push Pakistan from the grey list into the black list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Qureshi was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan. “The situation demands that the government and the opposition should set aside their differences and cooperate on these issues,” he said during a news conference here.

He urged Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif to avoid “narrow thinking” and show more responsibility for the country’s interest.

Qureshi said while “there will remain political differences between PTI and the two opposition parties”, he hopes both the parties would play their role for the country’s development.However, he said the government is “not in favour of a deal or relaxation” as it strongly believes things should move forward as per the law. “The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an independent institution which is acting against corrupt elements without any prejudice. NAB holds members of the PTI, PML-N and PPP equally accountable. The government is not interfering into its matters.”

About the expected hike in petroleum prices, the minister said international petroleum prices also affect Pakistan. He added the PTI came into power when the country was passing through a financial crisis and the government was trying its best to provide relief to the people.

To a question about South Punjab province, Qureshi said: “South Punjab province is not a slogan but it is the need of the hour. It is very difficult to run a province having 120 million population and the government is committed to resolving the problems of South Punjab.”