Asked to name 58 nations backing Pak on J&K, minister Qureshi loses cool

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi found himself in an embarrassing situation during a talk show on a Pakistani TV channel on Friday (October 4).

He even lost his cool as he was asked to name the 58 countries that Prime Minister Imran Khan had said were backing Islamabad on its stance on Kashmir issue.

Qureshi was attending a talk show on Express News, ANI reported quoting the Sputnik news agency, where he was pressed for endorsing PM Khan’s comments at the United Nations Human Rights Commission last month.

The Foreign Minister was quick to revert. He snapped at the talk show host Javed Chaudhry, asking him, “On whose agenda are you working?” “Are you going to tell me or decide which countries have or have not supported Pakistan at the UN? You may write whatever you want,” he was quoted as saying.

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On being again pressed for endorsing Imran Khan’s comment on his own Twitter handle, Qureshi denied the same and sought Chaudhry to show him which tweet he was referring to.

“Show me the tweet I have written, not what Prime Minister Khan has written. You said my tweet. Show it to me. I want my tweet,” said a visibly angry Qureshi.

However, after he was shown the tweet, he said there was nothing wrong with it. “I stand by what I have said. What is so surprising in this? Whose agenda are you following?” the minister asked.

(With inputs from agencies)