India using chemical weapons in occupied Kashmir: FO

The Foreign Office on Thursday said India is using chemical weapons on unarmed citizens of occupied Kashmir.

"Pakistan strongly condemns Indian aggression," Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said.

"We want to resolve the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people."

In a weekly press briefing, the FO spokesperson stated that the Kartarpur border issue — along with other matters — will remain pending if India doesn't agree to hold talks with Pakistan.

Dr Faisal said while Pakistan believes in Quaid-e-Azam's principle of peaceful ties with neighbours, it has not made efforts to convince India to hold talks. He recalled that the first initiative to hold talks was, in fact, taken by Indian Premier Narendra Modi who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Moreover, the foreign office spokesperson also said that Pakistan will present a strong case against Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in The International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"Pakistan will not compromise on matters pertaining to national interest," Dr Faisal reiterated

'Positive talks held with US president'
Dr Faisal confirmed that a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and US President Donald Trump had taken place.

In the meeting, a positive exchange of views took place between the two leaders, the FO spokesperson said.

Further, FM Qureshi also met the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to the country, who praised Pakistan's role in establishing peace in Afghanistan.

On Shakil Afridi's issue, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan's stance remains unchanged.

In response to a journalist's question, Dr Faisal said the US should hold dialogue with the Taliban. "We will hope that the negotiations are fruitful," he said.

"We don't want a single country to be held responsible for establishing peace in Afghanistan. All countries should play their part in this effort," the FO spokesperson said.

The foreign office also confirmed that Qureshi met with the president of the World Bank. In the meeting, the foreign minister discussed the Indus Waters Treaty and the disputed Kishanganga dam issue.

'Pakistan, China on the same page on CPEC'
Responding to a question about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, Dr Faisal said Pakistan and China are on the same page on the matter.

"The planning commission can better respond to questions pertaining to Saudi Arabia's inclusion in the CPEC plan," he added.