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The Foreign Office on Monday reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the onus is on India to create an environment conducive for dialogue and peace in the region.
In a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said dialogue between Pakistan and India could only occur in an environment “free of coercion and free of belligerence that India continues to demonstrate in the region.” She was responding to a question on the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman saying an “environment free of terror and hostility” is necessary to restart talks between the neighboring nations following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying Pakistan was ready to talk on “serious matters” with its neighbor.
Emphasizing that Pakistan believed in a peaceful neighborhood and wanted regional peace based on mutual respect and in conformity with international law, the spokesperson said the prime minister’s comments had reaffirmed. “We also believe dialogue is important between Pakistan and India in an environment which is free of coercion and free of belligerence that India continues to demonstrate in the region. We believe the ball is in India’s court to create an environment for peace and dialogue,” she added.
Referring to the treatment of minorities in India, Baloch expressed about “an alarming increase” in attacks on minority communities. “We are concerned about the recent developments and communal and ethnic violence in Manipur. And recently there was a burning of mosque in Gurugram, which also resulted in the killing of the imam,” she said, adding that Hindu supremacist organizations were engaged in violent acts against Indian Muslims to terrorize them, which was a “matter of serious concern.”
To a question on the Pakistan cricket team visiting India for the upcoming World Cup, the spokesperson said Islamabad expected India as the host to provide “full and complete security” to the national team. “Our deep concerns about the security of Pakistan’s cricket team are being conveyed to the ICC [International Cricket Council] and the Indian authorities. At this point, these concerns are being conveyed through our cricket authorities. We will continue to monitor the situation and would determine if some other channels of communication are also in order,” she said.
“Pakistan’s constructive and responsible approach contrasts with that of India which has repeatedly politicized sports by refusing to send its cricket team to Pakistan for Asia Cup or denying visas for Pakistan’s blind cricket team,” she added.
Referring to the involvement of Afghan nationals in the Zhob terrorist attack, Baloch said the Foreign Office was engaged with the Afghanistan embassy and authorities on the issue. “We have shared with them the discovery that we have made with regard to the identity of terrorists who were involved in the attack,” she said. “We have reiterated on several occasions that Afghan soil should not be used to foment terrorism against Pakistan,” she added in response to a question on Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid saying Pakistan should talk through diplomatic channels rather than going through media.
The spokesperson also apprised journalists that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari undertook 36 foreign tours during his 15 months in office. She said some of the visits required participation in multilateral conferences like the UNGA and other U.N.-related activities, while others were as part of the P.M.’s delegation.
“We have focused on rebuilding of ties and restoring trust with key capitals and reinvigorating substantive engagement with traditional partners. There has been an effort to expand our diplomatic footprint, retake our space in the global discourse on important issues and reassert Pakistan’s presence at the multilateral stage,” she added.