ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting ChaudhryFawad Hussain said on Friday that cancellation of blasphemous caricaturecontest in Netherlands was a major diplomatic success of Pakistan.
Talking to newsmen outside Parliament House here he said Pakistan respondedto the development in close coordination with Turkey and other members ofthe Organization of Islamic Conference.
The Minister, however,added that there was a need for a global strategy totackle such issues . He said only a handful of elements in the West createfissures by raising such issues repeatedly. He said majority of people inthe Western world including government of Netherlands were againstblasphemous caricatures. He said such controversies injure sentiments ofover two billion Muslims all over the world and therefore, laws should beframed by the West against such provocative actions.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the Foreign Minister toraise the issue at the United Nations. About briefing to the Prime Ministerand Federal Ministers at the GHQ, he said the army top brass briefed themon important security and defence related issues.
He said policy-making was the privilege of the elected Government but ithas to take all stakeholders on board. He said the PTI Government wouldformulate policies after getting input from other relevant institutions. Hesaid the state policies should enjoy confidence of the masses.
Chaudhry Fawad said Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also said incategorical terms that like other institutions army was bound to implementpolicies framed by the government.
The minister said the Prime Minister remarked that the country wasconfronting major challenges which can only be tackled through a jointstrategy.
Fawad Hussain said Pakistan wants stability in Afghanistan andnormalization of relations with India was important agenda of the presentgovernment. He said instead of confrontation, the two countries shouldfight their common enemies poverty and ignorance.
To a question, the Information Minister said Saudi Arabia was Pakistan’sstrategic partner and we also have close relations with Iran.
About China, he said, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) wasreflective of geo-economic partnership of the two countries. He said thePTI government was committed to completion of CPEC projects. TheInformation Minister said Pakistan also wants to maintain good ties bothwith the United States and the Russian Federation and would welcome theirinvestment in Pakistan.
He said the dream of Prime Minister Imran Khan to take people out ofpoverty line cannot be realized without increased interaction with CentralAsian Republics.
Replying to a question he said that Punjab Minister Fiazul Hassan Chohanhas already apologized for his controversial statement about the artistswho are identity of the nation. – APP