ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his government was in the process of addressing a matter related to the appointment of the country’s ambassador to France.
The premier stated this while responding to a question in an interview French daily newspaper Le Figaro. It is noted that Pakistan has not had an ambassador in Paris since 2020.
A religio-political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), has been holding anti-France protests over the publication of blasphemous caricatures, demanding Islamabad to sever relations with Paris.
Responding to a question about developing relations with France in the coming months, Imran Khan said: “France is a very important country for Pakistan. Almost half of our exports go to the European Union, of which France is one of the most significant members. It is also a trading partner. My priority is to turn the economy around so that our country can stand on its own two feet and take care of its 220 million people. Covid hindered travel, and we have had to stick to video conference meetings. Ideally, I would like to meet President Macron to discuss our bilateral ties”.
When asked if he has any plan to make an official visit to Paris, the premier said: “Not in the immediate future. With President Macron, we have spoken twice on the phone in the past and, of course, I want to come to France”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also stressed that the recognition of the Taliban government should be a collective process.
He said Pakistan believes that more stable the Afghan government is, the less the terrorist groups can operate there.
Imran Khan said the last thing Pakistan wants is isolation by being the only country to recognize the Taliban government. If Pakistan is the first to grant recognition, the international pressure will become too much for us as we try to turn our economy around. We can only recover if we have good relations with the international community.
He said the Taliban government has made promises on the issues of inclusive government and human rights.
Imran Khan said Afghans should not be expected to respect women’s rights as Westerners understand them. But they do agree that girls should be educated.
Responding to a question, the Prime Minister said our first concern is the Refugees. If the humanitarian crisis worsens in Afghanistan, we will have an influx of refugees, while more than 240,000 have already fled their country after the fall of Kabul. We do not have the resources to accept more refugees.
He said Pakistan does not want international terrorism to operate from Afghanistan but this can only be done with the help of the Taliban government. We have already lost eighty thousand lives in the war on terrorism and we do not want a conflict with the Afghan government. We will be partners with the US in peace, not in war.
When asked about Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the Prime Minister said the attitude of the BJP government and the RSS towards Pakistan and Kashmir is worrisome. We are dealing with a government that is not rational, whose ideology is based on hatred of religious minorities and Pakistan. We cannot talk to them. We are at a dead end.
He said talks with India at this point in time would be a betrayal of Kashmiri people who have suffered so much and who live in an open-air prison environment with 800,000 troops deployed in the region.
He, however, said it is possible to build a relationship with India, but this requires the restoration of Kashmir’s autonomy. They have violated international law with this abrogation.
