ISLAMABAD
\nPresident Dr Arif Alvi said that being an independent country, Pakistan neither wanted to be a toy in anyone\u2019s hands nor looked for polarization.
\n\u201cPakistan doesn\u2019t want to be a toy in anybody\u2019s hands. Pakistan is an independent country. Pakistan wants good relations with everybody, particularly at the time when we are going through economic turmoil (and) the world is going through economic turmoil. T\u00fcrkiye is going through economic turmoil,\u201d the president said in an interview with Turkish Anadolu Agency published on Thursday.
\nHe said that Pakistan wanted good ties with everyone as the world was going through the economic turmoil. \u201cPakistan is not looking for any polarization and does not want to be in any camp,\u201d he said.
\nOn Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s upcoming visit to Pakistan in September, he said Islamabad would welcome him. He said Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye had a very deep, long-lasting relationship.
\nOn Ukraine war, he said Pakistan wanted peace and the role and lauded the President Erdogan\u2019s role in this regard. \u201cThe strategic understanding of what is happening around T\u00fcrkiye, as well as around Pakistan, is important. The fact that the thinking of the Muslim Ummah should be together.
\n That will always be on the agenda. The fact that our ties are demonstrated to become closer is important for the people of Pakistan and T\u00fcrkiye,\u201d he commented. Asked to comment on Pakistan\u2019s plan to purchase oil and grain from Russia, he said it was the government to decide on the matter.
\nHe said Pakistan was looking for good relationships with our long-term friends, which was the United States of America. And similarly, the country also wanted to continue and further establish its ties with China, he added.
\nTo a question, about China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the president said it was a partnership which was very important to Pakistan\u2019s economic interest. Regarding relations with India, he said, \u201cPakistan has been looking for peace. But whether India is looking for peace, I\u2019m not sure because all our overtures have been put under a question mark.
\n I believe that India\u2019s actions in Kashmir were a serious setback to peace.\u201d We believe that Kashmir (issue) should be settled according to the United Nations resolutions
\nAt the same time, he said Pakistan was also concerned about the onslaught on Indian Muslims by the ruling BJP party and the Muslim world is also concerned about the way Muslims were being isolated in India.
\nTo a question, the president said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan because it was related to its economy as well. He said Pakistan has done its part for brotherly relations with Afghanistan and advised the interim Afghan government to make it broader, improve women education.
\nAsked to comment on the political situation in Pakistan, he said his role was to try to reduce this political polarization. \u201cIt is a democracy \u2013 Pakistan is a democracy and Pakistan is gradually becoming a strong democracy. We are going through these trials and tribulations which are happening,\u201d he added.
\nTo another question, he said media needed to be able to give a free expression an also expected the media to act responsibly. About the catastrophic floods in Pakistan, he agreed with the prime minister\u2019s stance that there was so much structural damage that Pakistan should be looking for international help because the climate change situation would be affecting a lot of countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD President Dr Arif Alvi said that being an independent country, Pakistan neither wanted to be a toy in anyone\u2019s hands nor looked for polarization. \u201cPakistan doesn\u2019t want to be a toy in anybody\u2019s hands. Pakistan is an independent country. Pakistan wants good relations with everybody, particularly at the time when we are going through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-280919","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n