‘You have to engage with this new Pakistan’, Qureshi tells Biden administration

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday urged the new Biden administration to recognise that the world has changed since the Democrat president, especially the role of Pakistan and India in the global community.

“In [these] four years [since the previous Democrat administration] the world has changed, the region has changed and Pakistan has changed and you have to engage with this new Pakistan,” said Qureshi while addressing a press conference in Multan.

He maintained that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is “no more a democratic country.” The FM pointed out there was “a new face of Hindutva, a new practical demonstration of the thinking of the RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]. Minorities in India are finding themselves to be insecure.”

Qureshi further said that there are similarities between the current US administration and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, and hoped the two could engage on a “new approach and new guidelines”.

“Biden wants reduced violence in Afghanistan and Islamabad also supports democracy in the neighbouring country,” he said on the occasion.

Qureshi added that he had written a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to update him on the current policies of Pakistan and their trajectory, and hoped to have more talks with him on the matter in the coming days.

“We have made a very big shift, from a geostrategic position to a geo-economic position,” said the foreign minister.

Regarding the current crises faced by the people of Pakistan, Qureshi said that the government had allowed the import of wheat and sugar. He also held the previous government responsible for the gas shortage.

On the occasion, FM Qureshi insisted that Pakistan has not and would not take any action which would hurt its allied states. This was said in reply to a question regarding the reservations of some Arab states on the decisions made by Pakistan

“We haven’t signed any agreement that hurts the interests of an allied state,” he maintained, adding: “We have never done, and will never do such an agreement which causes damage to any brother Muslim state.”

He cited the example of Azerbaijan and how, due to the act of congratulating the state from reclaimed its occupied territory, the flags of Turkey and Pakistan were waved in the streets by the citizens of Azerbaijan.

“We hadn’t handed them [flags], this was the people’s emotions, acceptance and tribute to Pakistan.”

Regarding the ongoing Broadsheet LLC scandal, he stressed that the incumbent government played no role in the agreement signed between the UK firm and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“The premier has said that the issue should be investigated. Justice (retd) Azmat Saeed has a reputation for his honesty. If the opposition is so certain it did nothing wrong, then why the panic?” he added.

Moreover, Qureshi took a shot against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and said that as the PPP chief had proposed a no-confidence motion against the premier, Bilawal has accepted Imran Khan has the elected prime minister.

“Now it is clear from this, Bilawal when you say you will bring a no-confidence motion, it means you have constitutionally accepted Imran Khan as prime minister,” said the foreign minister, adding that the PTI government and its allies were confident that they are “in a position to confront and defeat it in a constitutional and parliamentary manner.”

“He should now start calling Imran Khan an elected prime minister and not selected,” he said.

The foreign minister questioned the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) anti-Israel rallies and said that since Islamabad has made it clear it would not recognise Tel Aviv until the Palestine conflict is resolved,  there is no point in holding those demonstrations.

“They [the opposition parties] will scatter and you are seeing that has [already] started.”