India stands divided into secular, Hindutva segments: Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday the Indians had been divided into two segments — one supporting secularism, while the other was working to impose the extremist Hindutva ideology.

Talking to media persons here, Qureshi said the Modi government’s ideology of Hindutva had been exposed before the world. The Indian government hid its brutalities in occupied Kashmir through information blackout but it could not conceal the public protests in its cities, which were jointly held by Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and other communities, he added.

Referring to India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the foreign minister said the whole world was noticing the recent developments in the neighbouring country. “Protest demonstrations are being held not only across India but also in the capitals of important countries. Even chief ministers of five Indian states have refused to impose the CAA.”

He said former Indian minister Chidambaram had also termed the CAA against the constitution of India and hopefully the Indian Supreme Court would strike it down, adding some 25 persons had died, while hundreds of peaceful citizens were arrested by the Indian police for opposing the CAA. Qureshi said the CAA had in fact exposed the real face of Modi government, damaging the country’s image internationally.

To a query about the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK), the foreign minister said even those Kashmiri leaders, who had supported India in the past, were also expressing concerns over Indian government’s actions. Qureshi apprehended that India might launch a false-flag operation along the Line of Control (Loc) to divert the world’s attention from its internal situation and that in the IOJK.

India, he said, had cut border fence at five different points and also installed missiles along the border and added Pakistan had intimated the United Nations of its concerns mentioning threat to peace and security of the region from India. Some seven letters had been written to the world body for the purpose, he mentioned.

The foreign minister said China had also demanded the UN’s military observers brief the UN Security Council as it was the latter’s responsibility to take steps for maintaining peace and security in the region.

To another question about the response of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Qureshi observed that the OIC would raise effective voice on IOJK situation. It had already expressed its concerns over human rights violations in the valley, he said, adding Pakistan received a positive response that an OIC conference would be convened soon. Pakistan desired that the conference should be held in Islamabad, he said.

The foreign minister lauded the American-Pakistanis for effectively presenting Pakistan’s view-point in the United States and urged them to play their role in countering the Indian lobby. The US Congress discussed the Kashmir issue in three different sessions, he added.

As regards the Kuala Lumpur Summit, the foreign minister observed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad tried to unite the Muslim Ummah in order to launch socio-economic projects and address Islamophobia issue, saying Pakistan respected his efforts.

He said Pakistan had good relations with all the Muslim countries and would try its best to remove misunderstandings among them. He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would visit Pakistan in February, while the Pakistani leadership would also visit Malaysia in near future.

Qureshi thanked the Sri Lankan cricket team for touring Pakistan and wished that the Bangladesh team should also visit the country.

Talking about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance, the minister said it was neither an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) nor it meant to put curtain for hiding corruption. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had zero tolerance against corruption. He said the opposition was making undue criticism on the NAB ordinance and lamented that it had become a trend to criticise government’s steps.

“Earlier, the opposition had been making demand for amendments to the NAB laws but now it is criticising without studying the new ordinance.”

He said the opposition was of the view that businessmen community was worried and economy was not heading forward due to tight policies, adding the NAB ordinance would help promote businesses by addressing the procedural flaws. Qureshi suggested that opposition should talk to the government and present its recommendations instead of doing criticism, saying the government would not allow any misuse of public money.

About the Sindh government’s complaints of gas shortage, the foreign minister said the country on the whole was facing shortage of gas but added the provincial government was doing politics on the issue. He, however, asked the Sindh government to sit with the federal government and sort out a solution of the issue.

To a question, Qureshi rejected any chance of clash among the state institutions. “The parliament, the executive and the judiciary have defined roles as per the Constitution. All institutions are being run by sensible people who work within the defined ambit,” he added.

He also lauded the Pakistan Army for eliminating the menace of terrorism and extremism in the country. About elections in Afghanistan, the foreign minister said Pakistan would work with the newly people’s elected government in the neighbouring country.

Qureshi also appreciated the district administration for finalising arrangements for the Urs of great saint of sub-continent Hazrat Shah Ruknuddin Alam, commencing from the first of January.