ISLAMABAD    -    Federal Minister for Cli­mate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Sat­urday said that the For­eign Minister upheld Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir during his re­cent visit to India. Talk­ing to a private news channel, she said that the Foreign Minister’s decision to attend the SCO summit in India was a courageous move and it was made after thorough consultation with all stakeholders, including the Parlia­ment. Minister further said that despite India’s actions, Pakistan can­not afford to withdraw from the membership of regional forums be­cause they could play a vital role in safeguard­ing national interests. 

During the meetings of these forums, Paki­stan got a chance to con­sistently articulate its national position and conveys its stance on various issues affecting the region, she asserted. Responding to a ques­tion, she said that it ap­pears that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was attempting to mo­nopolize every issue for its own self-interest, dis­regarding the broader implications. To another query, she made it clear that terrorism knows no boundaries and poses a common threat to all nations. Therefore, it is crucial to address this issue whenever an op­portunity arises for open dialogue. On the question of political in­stability in the country, she said that the politi­cal landscape is deeply fragmented, with politi­cal parties experiencing significant divisions and rifts. The primary cause of this instability can be attributed to the nega­tive and self-centered politics pursued by Im­ran Khan, she criticized. Moreover, this uncertain situation has created obstacles in finalizing the IMF agreement that increase the economic instability in the coun­try, she asserted.