ISLAMABAD:,,, Foreign Office has said the outgoing year 2023 remained an active year for Pakistan’s diplomacy.
At a roundup media briefing here in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts are aimed at building relations with countries in all regions of the world with frequent high-level exchanges and visits.
She said Pakistan continued its efforts to pursue political and sectoral dialogues to institutionalize bilateral partnerships and also pursued active multilateral diplomacy during the outgoing year.
About relations with India, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan has consistently maintained that bilateral relations cannot fully normalize until the resolution of core issues especially the settlement of disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Replying to a question, she strongly condemned the decision of the Indian authorities to ban the Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir Masarat Alam faction for five years.
She said the suppression of Kashmiris and incarceration of their leadership reflect India’s disregard to international norms and human rights laws.
The Spokesperson urged India to lift curbs on political parties in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, release all political prisoners and create conditions for realization of the inalienable right of self-determination of Kashmiris in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
Answering another question about statements of some foreign missions on the issue of Baloch protestors, she expressed regret over their interference saying that Pakistan is fully capable of handling its internal matters.
She said the constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedom of assembly and expression of its citizens and the laws are in place to deal with such cases internally.
The Spokesperson said the country’s courts are independent and have taken decisions in this regard on several occasions.
