Qureshi Stopped FO From Issuance Of Demarche To US Envoy: Hina

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Qureshi stopped FO from issuance of demarche to US envoy: Hina

The Foreign Minister says meeting between Asad Majeed and US official Donald Lu was not a delegation-level meeting.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-April 23rd, 2022) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said that former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stopped the Foreign Office from issuing demarche to the US envoy.

The Minister said Qureshi took this step even he was informed about the cable immediately. She expressed these words while talking to a local private tv on Saturday.

The Foreign Minister said that meeting between Asad Majeed and US official Donald Lu was not a delegation-level meeting. Asad Majeed, she said, had given his assessment in which he recommended issuing a demarche to the US ambassador in Islamabad based on the 'luncheon' discussion with Donald Lu.

“In his assessment, Asad Majeed recommended the Foreign Office to call US ambassador and ask that whatever the US diplomat Donald Lu had said was his personal opinion about Pakistan or the US government’s stance,” the Minister said.

The minister’s remarks came after National Security Committee (NSC) meeting which ruled out foreign conspiracy againat former PTI government.

Hina said former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had been informed about the cypher immediately, but on his instructions demarche was not issued by the Foreign Office.

She stated that Asad Majeed had sent recommendations in a very professional manner but the matter was politicised by the then government.

Hina said, "Pakistan’s foreign ministry came under severe pressure due to the mishandling of the issue,’".

Abdullah Hussain

Abdullah Hussain is a staff member who writes on politics, human rights, social issues and climate change.