ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Thursday urged the world to force India to stop state terrorism in held Kashmir and resolve the Kashmir issue.

At his weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal urged international community to call upon New Delhi to halt its oppression and move towards resolution of the lingering dispute.

To a question about Kartarpur Corridor, the spokesperson hoped that India would agree to a meeting with Pakistan at the earliest to finalise the draft for operationalisation of the corridor.

He said work is proceeding rapidly on our side as per the commitment made by Prime Minister Imran Khan for operationalisation of the Kartarpur corridor.

To a question, he said foreign hands found involved in the recent acts of terrorism in Balochistan will not only be exposed but also effectively countered.

FO says Pakistan supports Afghan peace process 

He recalled that Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav was also captured from Balochistan, and the information retrieved from him was shared with India as well as the international community.

In Afghan peace process, the spokesperson said Pakistan has been playing a facilitating role in the Afghan peace process as a shared responsibility. However, he clarified that Pakistan has not attended the talks in Doha.

He said the US and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks and Pakistan was helpful in bringing the Taliban to the table of negotiations. He said Pakistan will continue to work towards the peace process in good faith.

To a question about Financial Action Task Force, the spokesperson said Pakistan has taken very effective actions to get itself out of the grey list.

He said Pakistan had a principled position on Masood Azhar and it will take any decision about him not under any pressure but keeping in view the national interests.

About the plight of Palestinians, the spokesperson said Pakistan has always remained at the forefront in support of them.

He said Pakistan will take up the issue of human rights situation in the Palestinian territory at the upcoming meeting of the OIC in Makkah.

Faisal said Sohail Mehmood assumed charge as the Foreign Secretary after Tehmina Janjua, Pakistan’s first female Foreign Secretary, retired at the end of a brilliant career.

The spokesperson said at invitation of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Prime Minister Imran Khan will pay an official visit to Iran on 21-22 April 2019. This will be the first visit of the Prime Minister to Iran.

The visit will include a brief stop-over in Mashhad before arriving in Tehran for bilateral talks with the Iranian leadership. The Prime Minister will call on Iranian Supreme Leader Seyed Ali Khamenei, besides holding detailed consultations with President Rouhani. Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will also visit China from April 25 to 28, 2019 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, to attend the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. During the visit, Prime Minister will be accompanied by a ministerial delegation.

He will deliver a keynote speech in the opening ceremony of the Forum and participate in the Leaders’ Round Table. He will also hold meetings with several Heads of State/Government and corporate and business leaders. In addition to participating in the Belt and Road Forum, the Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Pakistan and China will also sign several MoUs and agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.

Faisal said in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Pakistan Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security conducted an International Training Workshop from 8-12 April, 2019 on “Evaluation of Physical Protection System which was attended by 18 foreign participants form Belarus, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Romania, Spain, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Four IAEA experts along with PCENS faculty conducted the training. Pakistan has evolved effective nuclear security architecture over the years and has also developed substantial capacity of its institutions for imparting nuclear security training.