‘Destabilized’ Afghanistan 'bad' omen for Pakistan: FM Qureshi

“The violence is likely to escalate in the country once the American troops withdraw from there. Pakistan doesn’t want a further influx of refugees from Afghanistan," Qureshi told a presser during his visit to the South Punjab Secretariat.

Qureshi said Pakistan rendered many sacrifices against terrorism and it didn't want the menace of terrorism surface again. "Some elements are playing role of "spoiler" to damage peace process in Afghanistan," he noted.

To a question, he said the FATF members would have to decide if it is a technical forum or a political one. "If FATF is a technical forum, then Pakistan should be on its white list," he said.

He accused India and some other powers of trying to politicise the forum. "Pakistan has been told that if all the 27 points of FATF are fulfilled, it will be moved to the white list," he said.

"The country has successfully implemented 26 points, so it will be removed from the grey list soon," he hoped.

Replying to a query about seizure of uranium from two citizens in India, the minister said Pakistan has raised the issue of seizure of uranium in India at many international forums. 

Qureshi said the PTI-led government has come up with a separate budget for South Punjab for the first time in the country's history, adding work on the city's master plan is underway, while a separate budget of Rs186 billion has been set aside for South Punjab as per the government's promise

“The budget will solve the long-standing deprivations that the region had been facing.” 

Qureshi told reporters that work on the construction of south Punjab secretariat would kick off from the first week of August.