The Pakistan Foreign Office confirmed that no negotiations with India on bilateral trade resumption, citing India’s illegal actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in 2019 as the primary reason.During the weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted the suspension of trade following India’s unilateral decision on August 5, 2019, to revoke Article 370, illegally annexing IIOJK. “This situation remains unchanged,” Baloch emphasized.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also condemned the recent killing of four Kashmiri youth by Indian forces in Doda district, labeling it as yet another example of India’s oppressive measures in the region. Baloch urged the international community to take decisive action against India’s ongoing human rights violations in IIOJK and to protect the rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.
In response to recent border violations, the FO spokesperson called on the interim Afghan government to exercise restraint and avoid unprovoked actions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The statement follows a clash between Pakistani and Afghan forces near the Torkham border, which led to the closure of the border.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stressed that Pakistani forces acted in self-defense after Afghan forces initiated indiscriminate fire on August 12, 2024. She reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to resolve any misunderstandings through diplomatic channels, emphasizing the multifaceted relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which should not be viewed through a narrow lens.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch strongly refuted claims of Pakistan’s involvement in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajid, asserting that such allegations are baseless. She emphasized that the people of Bangladesh are capable of determining their own future.
The FO spokesperson also condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist settlers led by Israeli occupation authorities. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch called the act a violation of the Geneva Convention and urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to take immediate action to protect the sanctity of holy sites in Jerusalem and ensure the freedom of worship for Palestinians.
