India backtracked from foreign ministers' meeting due to domestic pressure: FM

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said India was avoiding talks with Pakistan because of domestic political considerations.

“General elections are round the corner in India and the Indian government is confused over holding talks with Pakistan,” he said while talking to newsmen outside Parliament House.

The minister said India backtracked on its commitment for a meeting of foreign ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

Read More: Viewing Pakistan in context of India, Afghanistan inappropriate: foreign minister

He said the Indian attitude about dialogue had disappointed the United States and other countries desiring resumption of talks between the neighbouring countries.

To a question about Afghanistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the world was gradually agreeing to Pakistan’s stance that there was no military solution to the conflict.

Speaking about domestic politics, the foreign minister said political victimization had never been an objective of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

He said the entire nation wanted the accountability process to move on in a transparent manner.

Earlier, Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror should be acknowledged by global powers.

He said the United States had been knocking Pakistan for the last two years, whereas he had made it clear to the US authorities that looking at Pakistan in context of Afghanistan and India was not appropriate.