The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Pakistan was in close contact with British authorities and its High Commission in London to ensure the safety of its citizens in the wake of violence and riots in the country, in which three British Pakistanis were killed on Wednesday.
“Our High Commissioner to UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan is in close contact with the Pakistani community living in the United Kingdom, especially in Birmingham, regarding their safety and security,” Foreign Office Spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters at the weekly press briefing. She said that in the light of ongoing riots in Britain, Hasan had called upon British Pakistanis to immediately report to the police and the High Commission or the nearest consulate in case they faced any incident of violence.
BRITISH GOVT’S RESPONSIBILITY: “The three Pakistanis who were killed in the riots… were British nationals and providing them security was the responsibility of the British government,” she said. “Of the 1.5 million Pakistanis living in Britain, most are British nationals,” she added. “Pakistan’s High Commission in London and its Consulates General in the UK are vigilant to the situation and would be ready to render any assistance to the Pakistani community,” she said.
The government was also in touch with British authorities for the safety and security of Pakistani nationals, she added. When asked whether there were any fresh calls from the US for Pakistan to launch military operations in the tribal areas, particularly in North Waziristan, Janjua said: “Pakistan undertakes all its military operations and activities, especially with regard to countering terrorism, in its national interest.”
“It is in Pakistan’s national interest to fight terrorism. This is essential for peace and development in the country. Any action that will be taken to counter terrorism and fight militancy will be done in the context of our own national interests and operational requirements,” she added.
VISA ISSUE: To a question about refusal of visas to some USAID officials, Janjua said the issue of visas and movement of American diplomats inside Pakistan were being discussed between Islamabad and Washington.