MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has rejected the reports that the US has demanded custody of Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh who has been acquitted by the Supreme Court in US journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.

Talking to the media here on Saturday, the foreign minister said the US thought that Sheikh confessed his crime and the family of Daniel Pearl should get justice.

“We also want that they [the Pearl’s family] should get justice, while remaining in the limits of law. However, the US did not demand his custody,” he said.

He said he held telephonic conversation with the US Secretary of State Antony John Blinken and both sides decided to move forward through a dialogue, while keeping in view the common wishes and interests.

Says PPP can’t get Gilani elected as Senate chairman

“I congratulated Mr Blinken for taking over the charge of his position and told him that how the approach and vision of the PTI government is different from the governments of past. Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Joe Biden have common priorities, including peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s role in this regard, Pakistan’s sacrifices both in term of lives and finances in the war on terrorism. There are a number of areas including environment, climate change, corruption and money laundering in which we could more forward. I told him that the courts in Pakistan are independent to decide cases according to the constitution and law. He was concerned regarding a recent decision which he also mentioned and I told him that the Sindh government with the consultation of federal government filed a review petition against the decisions of Sindh High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan. We will utilise all the available legal options as we are aware of our responsibilities,” he said.

He said Pakistan cleared it’s territory of terrorists networks “as we care about thousands of families which have been affected by terrorism”.

“We want peace and stability in the region, besides overcoming the financial challenges the country is facing so that we could expand our economic partnership and regional connectivity which will pave the way for regional prosperity,” he said.

He said Pakistan had been playing it’s role with regard t Afghan Taliban and it was still continuing. He said the members of the European Parliament had been briefed on the revelations of EU Disinfo Lab and hoped that concrete steps would be taken in this regard.

To a question regarding the latest Transparency International report, he said the PTI government was making all-out efforts to eliminate corruption. He said the decision to make former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani a candidate for Senate chairman office was the PPP’s internal matter. However, the PPP lacked the number of votes from Punjab to get Mr Gilani elected.

“The PPP will never leave the Sindh government. Now they are saying that they will resign at a suitable time and I think the suitable time will come in 2023,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021