Pakistan has RAW proof against India, world must act

• FO spokesperson says captured spy Kulbushan Jadhav’s confession confirms RAW actuating terrorism across Pakistan
• Says Pakistan will apprise EU, UN and all other international forums regarding the capture of the Indian spy
• Says Iran has assured Pakistan its soil won’t be used for terrorism against neighbouring country

The captured Indian RAW agent Kulbushan Jadhav remained in the limelight in the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office on Thursday. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nafees Zakaria opened his briefing with remarks that the Indian spy’s capture was a ‘very important development’, and said that the spy’s confessional statement was proof of India’s shady involvement in Pakistan’s affairs.

Zakaria, while addressing a gathering of media personnel, reiterated that dossiers containing proofs of India’s involvement in Pakistan were given to the US government and the UN last year.

The spokesperson expressed regret over the loss of more than 74 lives in a bomb attack in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Lahore last Sunday. He expressed solidarity with the victims and condemned the cowardly acts, and reiterated the state’s stance to continue its counter-terrorism activities. The spokesperson also offered gratitude to the world leaders who had expressed solidarity with Pakistan in the wake of the deadly bombing.

“The government and people of Pakistan profoundly appreciate the expression of solidarity by the leadership of a large number of countries and heads of international organisations.”

The spokesperson criticised the attempts of the international media in labeling the terrorist attack as targeting Christians and said, “Those who lost their lives were all Pakistanis. I think the international community should see it as an attack on humanity. Terrorists’ objective is to exploit the situation, be it religious divide, sectarian divide or ethnic.”

EU, UN TO BE INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENT:

When the briefing was opened for questions, almost every other question was directly or indirectly related to the capture of the Indian spy.

Answering a query, Zakaria said that Pakistan will apprise the EU, UN and all other international forums regarding the capture of the Indian spy. He said the capture of an officer-level Indian spy has vindicated Pakistan’s longstanding stance of Indian state institutions’ involvement in terrorism activities in the country.

“Iranians have assured us that their soil won’t be allowed to be used against Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

When asked about whether Pakistan has taken up the issue with the UK regarding MQM Chairman Altaf Hussain’s links with RAW as claimed by various MQM members who recently defected to Mustafa Kamal’s party, Zakaria said that Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and UK’s Home Department are in connect in this regard. He said the contact between the two was facilitated by the Foreign Office but the two departments were handling the MQM chief’s case on their own.

When asked about the Joint Investigation Team presently visiting India and whether they’ve been given full access to the site, Nafees said that when the JIT returns and files its report, only then the FO can issue a comment.

Zakaria said that Pakistan’s relationship with Iran is time-tested and forged over many decades. The recent removal of sanctions will speed up trade and economic activity between the two countries. The groundbreaking of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has happened and other projects like TAPI will also make Pakistan prosperous.