Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has expressed his intentions to revisit trade relations with India.
It was clear that after India’s controversial decision to revoke the special autonomous status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, trade relations were halted. During a press conference in London following Pakistan’s participation in the nuclear energy summit in Brussels, Shah Mehmood Qureshi mentioned the demands of Pakistan’s business community to resume commercial activities with India.
In response to a question, he said that Pakistan will look at trade dealings with India seriously. The Foreign Minister mentioned that the revocation of the constitutional and legal status of occupied Kashmir by India in August 2019 had strained the relations between the two neighboring countries.
Qureshi pointed out that the 16-month government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had saved Pakistan from economic disaster after the previous government’s flawed policies had ruined the economy.
He stated that the government will introduce measures on a five-year roadmap to reduce inflation and help alleviate economic difficulties for the common man. Pakistan had a vision for atomic energy since the 1960s and despite global scrutiny, it continued to benefit from nuclear energy, which is now considered the safest and best option to tackle climate change challenges.
Qureshi emphasized that Afghan leadership should condemn terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, which are carried out by the Afghan Taliban residing in Pakistan (TTP). He also highlighted the need for mutual cooperation among neighboring countries to eradicate terrorism through intelligence-based anti-terrorism operations.
Highlighting the economic diplomacy as the government’s top priority, Qureshi mentioned that Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin possesses all the skills needed to tackle Pakistan’s economic issues.
Overall, the Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to counterterrorism measures, as well as the importance of addressing economic challenges for the country’s progress.