No trade with India till restoration of Kashmir’s status: FM Qureshi

• Shah Mehmood Qureshi says Pakistan has a clear stance on normalising ties with India and resuming trade.
  
• FM Qureshi says this in a press conference in Multan.
• He says China had good friendly relations with Pakistan for the last many decades.

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi said that there would be no trade with India till restoration of Kashmir’s special status which was illegally removed by India on 5th August 2019.

Talking to different delegations of local people during his visit of NA 156/157 constituencies here on Saturday, FM Qureshi said that bilateral relations of Pakistan and India were not normal.

Read more: Pakistan not diplomatically isolated despite Indian efforts: FM Qureshi

‘Pakistan, India cannot afford war’

Touching upon normalising ties with India, the minister said Pakistan always tried to normalise relations with India. He said that all issues could be resolved through dialogue.

Pakistan and India could not afford a war, as both were nuclear powers, he said. “Pakistan has a clear stance on trade with India. It’s now India’s turn to make the environment conducive to dialogue.”

He expressed concerns over the ongoing situation in Indian Kashmir and said the people of Kashmir and different political parties had already rejected the Indian government’s decision of August 5, 2019.

He said different international human rights organisations had raised their voice against the human rights violations in Indian held Kashmir.

US-led global climate summit's 'cacophony'

Speaking about the recent environment conference in the US in which Pakistan was not invited, Qureshi said the US government had invited only those countries which were creating pollution.

Read more: Pakistan’s exclusion from US climate moot: PM Imran Khan ‘puzzled at the cacophony’

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was a role model for developing countries because of his efforts to control global warming and environmental pollution.

He said the PM was the only leader who started the billion tree project by taking up the issue of climate change seriously.

“I wrote a letter to special envoy to Joe Biden administration and former secretary of state of America in which I have conveyed that Pakistan and America have the same policy on environment and both countries can work together on the issue,” Qureshi added.