Pakistan prefers de-escalation, diplomacy over military solutions; Bilawal’s long march will be welcomed in Rawalpindi
Rejecting the perception that Pakistan’s ties with the western block have worsened over the Ukraine issue, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday revealed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would embark on a Europe tour soon.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore with Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Fawad said that Pakistan’s position on the Ukraine-Russia crisis is clear, “we prefer de-escalation and diplomacy over military solutions.”
The tour holds special importance amid ongoing differences between the two sides following the statement of European Union envoys on Pakistan’s stance on the Ukraine war.
Earlier this week, the envoys of 22 countries, including EU member states, had jointly called on Pakistan to support a resolution in the UNGA condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He rubbished the notion that relations with the West were deteriorating, saying that Pakistan believed in a balanced policy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said Pakistan’s foreign policy was “100 per cent” being formulated inside the country and reflected the common man’s thinking.
He said that opposition parties would not move no-confidence motion against the government as they “lacked public support and required numbers” in the National Assembly.
“There is no possibility of tabling of a no-confidence move by the opposition parties and they are only giving deadlines as a face-saving tactic,” he said.
Fawad said facial expression of the opposition leaders, particularly of Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, were reflective of their “depressing situation as they did not have anything in their pocket”.
“The opposition parties are trying to create a political environment by staging marches and proposing a no-confidence move for face-saving only,” he added.
He said that the two major opposition parties — PML-N and PPP — had been reduced to regional parties in some divisions of Sindh and Punjab provinces respectively.
He expressed gratitude to the ally parties for standing firmly with the PTI-led government and added that the opposition parties were not sincere with each other and all of them were looking for protecting their vested interests.
