Environment not right for dialogue with India: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: While emphasising that he did not “see any environment for negotiation”, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday Pakistan was ready to hold dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, provided New Delhi agreed to meet certain conditions, including the easing of almost month long lockdown in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK).

Talking to BBC Urdu, Qureshi stressed Pakistan had always welcomed negotiations with India. “Pakistan has never refused to negotiate, but India has never created the right atmosphere needed for dialogue,” said the foreign minister. He emphasised: “Pakistan has no objection to bilateral talks, and any third-party support or mediation will also be welcomed.”

The foreign minister’s statement about conditional talks comes after similar comments made by Prime Minister Imran Khan in an opinion piece for The New York Times on Friday. In a shift from official policy on bilateral talks with India so far, Prime Minister Khan had on Friday said talks with India could go ahead only if New Delhi agreed to reverse the illegal annexation of Kashmir.

Qureshi appeared to elaborate on the statement made by the Premier, outlining that bilateral talks with India hinged on Delhi ending curfew in IOK, restoring human rights in the disputed territory and also releasing detained Kashmiri leaders.

“In an environment where curfew is enforced, people are suffering from life and death, gang rapes are taking place, (and) people are being held in captivity, I don’t see any environment for negotiation,” said the foreign minister.

Qureshi ruled out war with India, saying Pakistan had never adopted an aggressive foreign policy and always called for the peaceful resolution of disputes. “The two neighbouring countries with nuclear weapons cannot afford the risk of war. People will be destroyed by war and the world will be affected by this as well,” elaborated Qureshi.

The foreign minister also talked about Pakistan’s relations with the Gulf countries, other Muslim nations, and the United States in his interview, praising the role Pakistani allies have played to highlight the Kashmir cause on the international stage.

On August 5, India revoked the special constitutional autonomy of IOK and imposed a military curfew in the disputed territory following the illegal decision. Thousands of Kashmiris have been detained since, and nearly 700,000 troops deployed to suppress dissent. Allegations of torture and abuse of those detained by Indian security forces have been pouring in.