Kashmir Digits

Pakistan’s desire for good relations with India was mistaken as weakness by the neighbour, President Arif Alvi said on Monday.

He also accused India of  New Delhi of trying to derail Islamabad’s relations with Beijing.

Alvi made the remarks while addressing a joint session of Parliament to mark the start of the fourth parliamentary year of the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament, amid protests from the Opposition parties.

Pakistan always desired good relations with its neighbours, but India took this wish as a weakness, Alvi said, recalling the Indian air strike in Pakistan in 2019.

India carried out airstrike inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama suicide attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

Alvi also alleged that India was doing immense injustice to the people of Kashmir.

“I want to make it clear to India to stop the oppression in India and fulfil the promise of self-determination (in Kashmir),” he said.

Alvi said Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan and has been playing a positive role in the war-torn neighbouring country.

Last week, the Taliban announced a hardline interim government led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, chief of the Taliban’s powerful decision-making body ‘Rehbari Shura’, in Kabul.

At least 14 members of the Cabinet, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Akhund, are listed on the UN Security Council’s terrorism blacklist.

The Taliban announced the formation of the government just three days after the visit of Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to Kabul where he met the top leadership of the insurgent group.

Alvi also appreciated China’s “significant” role in Pakistan’s progress, adding that the country held its relations with Beijing in great esteem, despite India trying to derail these relations.

“We look at relations with China with great respect and want to strengthen them. I want to make it clear to India that it will never be successful in its goals and Pak-China friendship will keep strengthening,” he said.