MULTAN – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed on Monday that the upcoming ‘Azadi March’ of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on October 27 would hurt Kashmiris as the day is marked as black day every year.
Talking to newsmen in Multan, the minister said although govt is not afraid of ‘Azadi March’ as its democratic right of JUI-F, but said the timing is inappropriate.
The lawmaker said that the conduct of opposition parties on the issue of Kashmir is their political need adding that the international focus is already on Kashmir.
Further talking about the Kashmir issue, he said that as India imposed curfew in IOK and suspended basic rights that’s why it can’t allow anyone to visit the valley.
The foreign minister said US Senator Chris Van Hollen had told him that he wanted to visit Kashmir but was denied permission.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/azadi-march-to-end-with-fall-of-govt-asserts-fazlur-rehman/
Qureshi inquired if everything was normal in occupied Kashmir, then why the US Senator was denied permission adding that Hollen also expressed his desire to visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir and he was facilitated in this regard.
The minister clarified that if anyone, particularly from the United Kingdom Parliament and the European Union wants to visit the AJK, the incumbent government would facilitate the tour.
The Pakistani lawmaker expressed his disappointment over the conduct of Indian judiciary and the media adding that apparently, both are under extreme pressure of Hindu extremists.
On the issue of blacklisting by FATF, the minister said Pakistan had briefed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Bangkok about its viewpoint and explained the measures taken by Islamabad to the FATF Asia-Pacific Group.
The minister said Pakistan had taken measures to a considerable extent and has satisfied the friends about its seriousness against money laundering.
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Qureshi elaborated that Pakistan has taken solid steps to monitor money laundering and the incumbent government has taken more steps in one year to oversee terror financing than all the steps taken during last 10 years.
The foreign minister affirmed that despite Indian efforts to push Pakistan into the blacklist of the FATF, Pakistan’s viewpoint and efforts will be recognised in the FATF session in Paris.
Moreover, discussing CPEC, Qureshi said that the projects under the corridor were in progress and Pakistan and China have moved forward to the next phase, rejecting the concerns of the opposition.
