Playing to gallery, Qureshi rants Pakistan didn’t kneel
NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday ratcheted up the rhetoric and tried to score points by claiming that New Delhi had blinked first with the offer for talks. Even before finalising dates for the foreign secretary-level talks, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a public meeting in Multan claimed that Pakistan had held its ground and forced India to the negotiating table.
“Two days ago, India has approached and said they want to sit and talk to us and want to resume their relationship with us,” Mr Qureshi said, adding: “Pakistan hasn’t knelt… It didn’t kneel. Pakistan held its ground.”
Speaking in the affirmative over engaging India, the Pakistani foreign minister further added: “We will talk to them and present our case because our case is strong, it is not weak. Whether it be Kashmir or water or any other issue.”
Mr Qureshi was further quoted as saying that India wanted to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, but had failed due to effective diplomatic efforts by Islamabad. In another outlandish remark, he claimed domestic pressure had increased on the Indian government for the resumption of composite dialogue.
New Delhi is bracing itself for increased rhetoric from Islamabad and is not attaching any importance to the latest statement by the Pakistani foreign minister. Mr Qureshi’s remarks are being seen to be for domestic consumption.
The Indian government is now waiting for a formal response from Pakistan on the date and venue of the meeting. The two sides also have not yet finalised the list of subjects to be discussed during the foreign secretary-level talks…….
