Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has ruled out slowing down of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, saying the benefits of this mega activity is for the whole region.

Speaking in 24NewsHD TV channel’s 24@9 programme on Friday from Beijing where he is on a two-day official visit, Foreign Minister Qureshi maintained that the CPEC is the joint need of Pakistan and China.

Responding to a question, the foreign minister said “There are a lot of changes going on in the world. Afghanistan is moving towards peace talks. So this visit is very important as both Pakistan and China will sort out how to move ahead.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQeQRW0bZIE

Qureshi said he would represent the country in the Pakistan-China strategic dialogue. The two countries wanted to discuss the changing world situation, he added.

Qureshi said different issues, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its early completion, would come under discussion during the talks with the Chinese officials.

He said no one could deny the significance of CPEC and added, “China and Pakistan know that important developments have taken place in the region.”

The state of affairs in Kashmir is important to both Pakistan and China, the foreign minister noted and said everyone understood the treatment faced by the Kashmiris for the last one year.

“We are thankful to China that we were successful in deliberating the Kashmir issue thrice at the UN Security Council after 55 years,” Qureshi said.

About Saudi Arabia, he said Pakistan always had cordial relations with the Kingdom, which would remain so in the future too. Saudi Arabia had a clear stance on Israel which was historic in nature, said the foreign minister.

Pakistan committed to end terrorism, support its victims: FM

In his message on “International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism”, Qureshi on Friday said Pakistan stands with the international community to eliminate terrorism and commit to support to the victims of terrorism.

The minister expressed solidarity with the victims of terrorism and their families. He said for the last two decades, the people of Pakistan suffered the most from terrorism and lost over 70,000 lives and suffered economic loss of over $120 billion.

He said thousands of valiant soldiers and law enforcement officials laid down their lives in defending the motherland.

“I would like to thank and honour Pakistani citizens and families of martyrs of our law enforcement agencies and armed forces who have rendered immense sacrifices for the freedom, safety and security of Pakistan and its people,” he said.

The government and people of Pakistan will never forget their sacrifice, he added.

He said Pakistan’s resolve to fight terrorism remained unwavering. “In the face of every tragedy, the resilient Pakistani nation has shown that the values of enlightenment, compassion and empathy that bind us together are much stronger than the forces of intolerance, hatred, and violence that aim to divide,” he said.

He said, “As we commemorate this day, we must also remember and venerate the victims of the worst form of state terrorism perpetrated by India against innocent people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).”

He mentioned that since 1990, India’s occupation army had martyred over 100,000 Kashmiris, widowed 22,000 women, orphaned 108,000 children and raped more than 11,000 women.

Also, he said, India’s state terrorism intensified since August 5, 2019 military siege of 8 million Kashmiris in the Valley, with imprisonment of political leaders, the abduction and torture of 13,000 Kashmiri youth, brutal use of force against peaceful protestors, collective punishments and extra-judicial killings.

“The international community should seek to prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in the state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity,” he said.