MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says the opposition should realise the risk of the Covid-19 and avoid putting lives of the people at stake for the sake of politics.

He gave this statement here on Saturday while addressing gatherings of the people in various ceremonies, meeting delegations of the party workers and paying visits to various areas of his constituency.

“The government is not afraid of public gatherings and processions as the governments are neither formed nor toppled by processions but it is concerned about the lives of the people. The opposition wants unrest in the country and insisting to hold the public gatherings by it is a nondemocratic and irresponsible act. All the political parties, including the parties of the opposition, should have implemented corona-related SOPs,” he said.

Mr Qureshi added that the second wave of the Covid-19 was at its peak and the government was trying to save the lives of the people while the opposition was acting irresponsibly.

“Instead of doing politics on the Covid-19, the opposition should act maturely.”

He said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had damaged the country for not appointing the foreign minister for four years.

“Due to the poor foreign policies of the previous government, the country had gone into isolation at the international level but Prime Minister Imran Khan realised its importance and focused on it. Because of the successful policies of the government, the image of the country was improved among the international community,” he said.

Talking about Afghanistan, Mr Qureshi said, “Afghan peace process has entered into its concluding phase. The dialogue is underway in Doha. From the very first day, Pakistan’s point of view was that the peace could not be restored in Afghanistan by using force but through negotiations and the recent visit of the prime minister to Afghanistan was to reiterate this stance that the Pakistan is determined for the conclusive end of Afghan peace process”.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2020