- Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry says Indian spy agency involved in terrorist activities across Pakistan
- Says too early to put blame of Karachi bus attack on Islamic State
- FO spokesperson says Afghanistan asked to stop use of its territory by RAW against Pakistan
Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Thursday said that Indian intelligence agency RAW [Research and Analysis Wing] is involved in terrorist activities across Pakistan.
Addressing reporters in the federal capital, Chaudhry said that the matter had been taken up “a number of times” at the highest level with India through diplomatic channels. He also touched upon the Karachi bus attack during the informal conversation, saying that it is too early to confirm the involvement of Islamic State militant group.
“IS involvement in the attack cannot be established on the basis of a pamphlet purportedly left by the assailants inside the targeted bus. However, security agencies are investigating the attack,” he said.
A letter was left by the gunmen on Wednesday who attacked the bus carrying members of the Ismaili community.
The foreign secretary said two criminals arrested from Karachi recently have revealed that they received training from RAW. He said some militant groups are acting on RAW’s behest to spread terrorism in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is fighting war against terrorism for the last 15 years and India should refrain from causing more trouble for the country,” he said. He added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also stressed in his recent visit to Afghanistan that Afghan soil should not be used against Pakistan.
Earlier during the day, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office responding to a question about Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan had said that Pakistan has told Afghanistan that RAW should not be allowed to operate against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
At his weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalil Ullah said Pakistan supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process for peace and stability in the entire region.
When asked to comment on reports that the Indian prime minister wants to use cricket diplomacy to improve relations with Pakistan, Qazi Khalil Ullah said Pakistan welcomes the positive statements coming from India. He noted the cricket matches between the two countries have always brought the peoples of two countries close to each other. It is our desire to play the cricket series against India, he added.
The spokesman strongly rejected allegations that the Pakistani government had prior knowledge of US operation against Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad. He said the accusations made by US journalist Seymour Hersh about Pakistan are totally baseless.
To a question on Saudi-Yemeni conflict, the spokesperson said Pakistan has welcomed the Saudi decision of ceasefire and announced humanitarian assistance for the brotherly people of Yemen.