Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has flatly denied any "backdoor diplomacy" between Pakistan and India while praising the UAE leadership's involvement in the country's 50-year fraternal relationship.

"There is no formal clandestine diplomatic cooperation among Pakistan and India and there is no requirement for that," Qureshi said during a press conference held at the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai on Sunday. However, we have intelligence sharing, which is a standard practice among nations. We should sit at the negotiation table as two nuclear powers.”

The Pakistan Foreign Minister and his Indian counterpart, Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on Monday at the request of the UAE government to improve their relationship, according to local media reports. Pakistan's Foreign Minister went on to say that they were communicating at the level of intellect and that they stayed in touch even during times of confrontation.

"For a long time, we (Pakistan and India) have unresolved issues such as Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen, water, and other concerns. Without delay, we should resolve this. There is no other option than discussion and maintaining peace, but before that, India should give Kashmiris their rightful share and protect their rights before the Aug. 5 status,” he said. In response to a query, the minister stated that there were visa issues for Pakistan in the UAE, but that they were aware of the problem and that some alternatives would be implemented soon. Family visas are easily done.

He also said that internationally Pakistanis assist Pakistan by money transfers and other methods "They are regarded as a high-value asset by us. "There had been some expatriate concerns in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, and we were in discussions with local councils to find solutions through cooperation,” he said.

In response to a question about the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the corresponding situation, particularly concerning Afghan immigrants in Pakistan, the minister stated that there are presently 3 million Afghans living in Pakistan, and the government, using its capital, is aiding them in living peacefully. "There is no international assistance in this case because the government of Pakistan has been bearing the burden of retaining these immigrants for the past 40 years." Many Afghans want to return to their homeland, and we are assisting them without receiving any international assistance,” he said.

The new government, according to the minister, has thwarted several international attempts to keep Pakistan segregated. "Our connections with the United States, European countries, and other countries are strong as evidenced by the fact that our Premier and other high-level representatives met with various global leaders on several specific occasions," he added.

Pakistan and the UAE are celebrating 50 years of good, fraternal relations, according to the minister. "To commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Pak-UAE partnership, we will host some activities with public participation to acknowledge this auspicious occasion. I will personally request that Prime Minister Imran Khan come here and join the massive event that will be held in Sharjah to highlight the importance of the UAE community,” he said.

He also stated that they were prepared to grant expatriates voting rights, pending consultation with other political parties. "Through their voices, we expect our overseas community members to be a member of lawmaking and development in the country."

He flatly denied meeting with his Indian counterpart in Abu Dhabi, but he did acknowledge a telephonic conversation with the Afghan foreign minister during his visit to the UAE. "The peace talks in Afghanistan have begun, and several countries are participating in it. Soon, a conference will be held in Turkey, and we are pleased to see Taliban and Afghan government leaders participate in our capacity as a negotiator,” he said.

He also mentioned that the Iranian foreign minister recently paid four visits to Pakistan, citing Iran as a significant brotherly neighbor. "Iran is also Afghanistan's neighbor, and they are involved in the peace negotiations there. In this process, Pakistan will play a critical role in putting all stakeholders on the same page," the minister said.

Qureshi also addressed several topics, including Pakistan's immunization programs, in which he expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for providing COVID-19 vaccines. The policy to vaccinate the general population will be implemented soon.

"The pandemic has brought economic hardship to the whole world." With our scarce resources, we worked to save public lives and jobs. The frontline workers were vaccinated in the first phase, and the general vaccine schedule will begin soon. People are paying for COVID-19 vaccines because it is up to them to vaccinate personally, but the government will offer vaccines to its citizens at no cost,” he added. Qureshi praised the Pakistani community in the UAE for its contributions to the growth and strengthening of ties between the two countries.

The minister paid a visit to the Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020, along with Ambassador Afzaal Mahmood, Consul General Ahmed Amjad Ali, and others. "Our involvement in the Expo, which begins in October this year, reflects the close ties that exist between the two countries. Pakistan will surrender to take advantage of this global event to achieve its economic goals "he said

He had previously attended a dinner organized by the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai, where he praised the Pakistani business community's support.