Qureshi urges India to exercise restraint, end its foolish attitude

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged India to exercise restraint and to ends its foolish attitude. Addressing the media after a consultative meeting held at the Foreign Office in view of the worsening situation in Indian-held Jammu Kashmir, FM Qureshi reiterated that Pakistan is a peaceful country but it will not be pressured by India’s aggressive designs. “Pakistan is taking steps to ease the tensions. I urge the Indian leadership to exercise restraint and to ends its irresponsible attitude,” Qureshi said. He also said that Indian government has issued circulars to employees in IHK, cancelling their leaves and ordering them to make hoardings of stocks and food. “India is dispatching additional ten thousand troops to the held valley in anticipation of a bigger crackdown. As a result, Kashmiris are scared and they have shut down their businesses,” the minister said. The foreign minister said a wave of harassing and tormenting Kashmiris has set in and there are reports of Kashmiri people across the country being beaten, their properties set light and intimidated. He said Hurriyet leadership has been taken into custody and steps are being taken to deport them from Kashmir. Shah Mehmod Qureshi said Indian police and security forces are acting as silent spectators and do nothing to stop this harassment campaign against Kashmiris. He gave a clear message to India that Pakistan will not be cowed down by its threats and bullish attitude. The minister said the whole nation is united to defend the motherland and our army, politicians, youth, and old stand shoulder to shoulder to counter any aggression by India. He said Pakistan wants peace but it should not be misconstrued as our weakness. Qureshi regretted the recent deployment of an additional 10,000 Indian soldiers in the valley and the dozens of arrests carried out in the wake of the attack. He also called on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s government to stop fueling hatred for the purpose of furthering its agenda ahead of the elections, while condemning the killing of a Pakistani prisoner in India and threats to a bakery in Bangalore named after Karachi. It is pertinent to mention here that FM Qureshi’s message comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan aftermath of Pulwama attacks, in which more than 40 Indian soldiers were killed. New Delhi piled the blame on Islamabad for the attack, which was strongly refuted by the Pakistani leadership.