US Congress resolution unsolicited interference; neither welcome nor acceptable: FO

Islamabad (APP): Pakistan on Friday said that Resolution 901 adopted by the US House of Representatives was an “unsolicited interference” in Pakistan’s domestic affairs which was “neither welcome nor acceptable.”

The Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, at her weekly press briefing, told the media that the resolution clearly stemmed from an inadequate and erroneous understanding of political and electoral process of Pakistan.

“It is also an unsolicited interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. We believe that bilateral relations between countries should be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality. The unsolicited interference from the US Congress is therefore neither welcome nor acceptable,” she remarked.

Besides, the spokesperson said the timing and context of the said resolution were also not conducive to the current positive trajectory of bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States.

She said Pakistan would like to develop its relations with the US on the basis of mutual trust and confidence and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.

Expressing concerns about the continued suppression of the democratic rights of the Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), she said that a few days ago, the Indian authorities banned the elections of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association and arrested former Bar President Mian Qayoom.

The Indian authorities also disallowed Eid congregation at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid and house arrested prayer leader and prominent Kashmir leader Mir Waiz.

“These oppressive measures are yet another example of the autocratic approach of the Indian authorities and a violation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights, especially of the rights of association and peaceful assembly,” she said and reiterated Pakistan’s stance for continued political, diplomatic, and moral support to Kashmiri people for just and peaceful settlement of the dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

The spokesperson strongly condemned the indiscriminate bombing of Beit Lahia city in Northern Gaza by the Israeli forces, killing women and children. Pakistan deplores Israel’s actions as war crimes against the people of Gaza and emphasizes the urgent need for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties, she stressed.

Spokesperson Baloch informed the media that the government had appointed Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East and SIFC) Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington and Asim Iftikhar, currently serving as Pakistan’s envoy in France, as Pakistan’s Additional Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

She apprised the media of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar’s address at the Institute of Strategic Studies here wherein he called for leveraging Pakistan’s strategic location and advocating for international cooperation over confrontation, with firm support for multilateralism, promoting peaceful relations and regional stability to foster sustainable economic development.

Dar had emphasized the importance of humanitarian cooperation in Afghanistan and ensuring that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against its neighbors, besides seeking peaceful relations with India based on mutual respect, resolving the Kashmir dispute, and rejuvenating SAARC while rejecting India’s unilateral actions in IIOJK.

She mentioned the 18th round of bilateral political consultations between Pakistan and Sweden held on June 26 in which two sides reviewed the breadth of bilateral cooperation and agreed to enhance cooperation, aiming for a comprehensive relationship grounded in strong economic ties.

The spokesperson also highlighted that Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia and Pacific) Ambassador Imran Siddiqui represented Pakistan at the 19th meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) held in Tehran where he emphasized the significance of promoting regional connectivity and leveraging complementarities among member states.