India-Pakistan tensions appear to be de-escalating: FM Qureshi
We have decided to send back the Pakistani high commissioner to New Delhi, says foreign minister
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said tensions between India and Pakistan appear to be de-escalating.
"Tensions between India and Pakistan appear to be de-escalating and this is a positive development," Qureshi said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
"Pakistan has further increased diplomatic efforts and we have decided to send back the Pakistani high commissioner to New Delhi," he added. Qureshi continued that a Pakistani delegation will visit New Delhi to hold dialogue over the Kartarpur Corridor.
The foreign minister also thanked US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his role in the current situation with India. "I did not want to say it but private diplomacy worked," he said.
"US through private diplomacy played a role in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India," he stated. Qureshi said foreign ministers of China, Russia, Turkey, UAE and Jordan also played a significant role in reducing tension between the two countries.
Earlier while addressing a national conference on the start of the next phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Qureshi said, "The close relationship between Pakistan and China is a positive factor for the political stability of the region. Together we are successfully countering forces opposed to regional peace and harmony."
"In the post-Pulwama crisis too, the Chinese leadership presented a sound advice for India and Pakistan to engage in a dialogue and resolve their disputes," he added.
Stating that "CPEC has opened new vistas of relations between the two countries", Qureshi said, "Pakistan-China relations are the center pillar of our foreign policy. We want to expand our relations with China in the sectors of science, technology and agriculture."