Spokesperson Foreign Office Opening Statement for Press Briefing on 30 July, 2020

0
71

Today is the 360th day of the continued subjugation and brutalization of innocent people in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK). Indian occupation forces during their continued so-called cordon and search operations martyred Aijaz Ahmad Bhat and Ishfaq Rashid Khan in Srinagar area.
Ceasefire violations on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons continue unabated. This year alone, India has committed 1823 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 14 shahadats and serious injuries to 138 innocent civilians.
Pakistan strongly condemns restrictions imposed by Indian authorities on Eid-ul-Azha prayers in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoJ&K). Imposition of restrictions on prayers on one of the most important days of the Islamic calendar represents complete disrespect by the Indian government for the sentiments of the Muslims of IIoJ&K. It is also a flagrant violation of their fundamental freedom of religion.
Indian authorities are using Covid-19 related restrictions as a pretext to curb religious freedom of the Muslims of IIoJK. While the BJP government has been allowing religious activities in various other contexts and instances, disallowing Kashmiri Muslims to offer Eid-ul-Azha prayers is a blatant discrimination.
Pakistan urges the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organisations to take notice of glaring denial of the religious rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people in violation of international laws and conventions.
We have seen reports of recent acquisition of Rafale jets by Indian Airforce. According to some former senior Indian officials and several international publications these Rafale jets are dual-capable systems that can also be modified as nuclear weapon delivery platforms.
It is well known that India continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal both in terms of type and number of delivery systems. In addition to this, India has nuclearized the Indian Ocean and continues to increase the readiness of its arsenal through measures such as canisterization of missile systems.
It is disturbing to note that India continues to amass military capabilities beyond its genuine security requirement. According to credible and reputable international research institutes, India is now the second largest arms importer in the world.
Pakistan has been consistently highlighting the risks of massive Indian arms buildup as well as their offensive security doctrine and force postures, which are adversely affecting strategic stability in South Asia. This arms buildup is being aided and abetted through a policy of exemptions, waivers and supply of advanced equipment, technology and weapons for narrow commercial interests.
Such arms transfers also violate the objectives of various export control regimes on preventing destabilizing accumulations of arms in various regions including where there exist outstanding conflicts and disputes. Transfer of advanced systems, where there is an open intention of conversion into nuclear delivery platforms, calls into question the commitment of international suppliers to non-proliferation commitments.
The world community must dissuade India from its disproportionate arms buildup which could also lead to an arms race in South Asia. The world is already a witness to the bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric by the BJP Government in pursuit of a revisionist agenda in the neighbourhood.
On Pakistan’s part, we remain open to consideration of measures for crisis management, risk reduction, and strategic restraint. While remaining opposed to any arms race in South Asia, Pakistan cannot remain oblivious to these developments and remains confident of its ability to thwart any ill-considered act of aggression.
China-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Nepal Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers’ Video Conference on Joint Response to COVID-19 was recently hosted by China, the State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China H.E.Wang Yi chaired the Video Conference.
In his video-message at the Conference, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi lauded the initiative for the Quadrilateral platform for joint response to the pandemic and stressed that the global community needed unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation to fight COVID-19 that knew no boundaries, no religion and no ethnicity.
Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, in his statement at the Quadrilateral conference also underlined that COVID-19 had inflicted a punitive human and economic cost globally and had disrupted the social and political architecture of the world. Pakistan was ready to both enhance cooperation in combating COVID-19 and in post-pandemic economic recovery with the participating countries.

Leave a reply