No suspect of Pakistani origin has been arrested in connection with the Paris attacks last week, which were claimed by the militant self-styled Islamic State (IS) group, Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said Thursday.
Khalilullah said Pakistan has made it clear that the presence of Daesh — the Arabic acronym for IS — will not be tolerated on its land. He added that terrorism should not be associated with any religion.
At a weekly news briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson said the country is fully aware of the threat posed by IS and the security forces are alert regarding the same.
The spokesman said Pakistan is cooperating with the international community in combating terrorism. “We support a coordinated approach against terrorism for complete eradication of the menace,” he said.
About the Paris attacks, Khalilullah said Pakistan had condemned the attacks at different levels and the prime minister and the advisor on foreign affairs also visited the French embassy to condole the attacks.
When asked about the rise of Islamophobia following the Paris attacks, the spokesperson said terrorism cannot be associated with any religion.
In response to a question, the Khalilullah urged the international community not to pursue discriminatory policy on nuclear issue in South Asia saying this will have impact on the strategic stability of the region.
He termed the New York Times editorial on country’s nuclear arsenals as mistaken and based on prejudice. He said the editorial attempted to portray Pakistan as a country irresponsibly building its nuclear arsenals.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry ruled out the possibility of IS’ presence in Pakistan, saying no one in Pakistan will be allowed to have links with Daesh.
Pakistan is fully capable of thwarting all threats from the IS or any other extremist organisation, Chaudhry had said at the time.
