ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will lead the Pakistani delegation in the 7th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia –Istanbul Process being held from November 30 to December 01 in Baku, the Capital of Azerbaijan.
“Pakistan is an active member of the Heart of Asia –Istanbul Process. We have constructively participated in all seven Ministerial Conferences of Heart of Asia –Istanbul Process, and hosted fifth Ministerial Conference in Islamabad in December 2015,” the Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said in his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
The spokesman said that the foreign minister will make a statement on behalf of Pakistan in the Ministerial segment of the conference on December 01.
Dr Faisal further said in his opening remarks that the foreign minister has expressed deep anguish at the gross violations of human rights in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir, which continue unabated. India continues with its malicious attempts to mislead the global community by seeking to portray the legitimate and indigenous struggle of the Kashmiri people as “terrorism.”
Khawaja Asif condemned in the strongest possible terms the repeated arrests and incarceration of the top Kashmiri leaders, who have remained in the vanguard of the Jammu & Kashmiri struggle for the realization of the legitimate right to self-determination, the spokesman said.
In addition, Dr Faisal said that the government of Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attack against innocent worshippers at Al Rawdah mosque in the North Sinai region of Egypt, leading to 305 reported deaths and 127 injured.
“The people of Pakistan are deeply grieved at this senseless and barbaric act and stand in full solidarity with their Egyptian brethren in this moment of anguish and tragedy,” he said.
The Foreign Office Spokesman said that President Mamnoon Hussain has written a letter expressing deep condolences at this deadly terrorist attack and extending support and heartfelt sympathies to the people and government of Egypt on this tragedy.
