Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has accused India and Afghanistan of not responding positively to its efforts to broker peace in the region, Dawn reported. He said the two nations must be good neighbours and respond to Pakistan’s peace initiatives and end the blame game.
Asif made the statement at his maiden press conference at the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) headquarters in Sialkot. However, he asserted that Pakistan seeking peace and good relations does not mean it is weak.
The foreign minister further said that it was regrettable India was constantly violating the ceasefire accord and shelling at civilians along the Line of Control. He also accused New Delhi of supporting Afghanistan’s conspiracies against Pakistan in a bid to destabilise it.
Asif also accused India and the United States of conspiring to sabotage the Indus Waters Treaty, adding that Pakistan was being kept in the dark about its clauses. “[They have] taken up the burning issue of India stopping the flow of water to Pakistani rivers [with the World Bank],” he said.
The foreign minister also claimed that Islamabad and New Delhi had nearly resolved the dispute over the construction of the Kishanganga Dam about a year and a half ago, but there has been no progress as India had suspended talks three times since then.
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