- Says Pakistan takes action against terrorist groups without distinction
Pakistan expressed concern over continued atrocities of Indian forces against Kashmiris who are fighting for their right to self-determination.
A number of Kashmiris have been martyred and many others lost their sight during repression by the occupation forces, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
He said Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle to the right of self-determination. He said Pakistan has strongly taken up with the international community and the human rights organisations the recent wave of atrocities unleashed by the Indian troops in the held valley over the last one month. He said a number of countries and human rights organisations have also expressed serious concerns over the prevailing situation in Indian-held Kashmir.
He said our missions abroad have sanitised the human rights organisations and their host countries about the Indian persecution of innocent Kashmiris. There is a growing realisation in the world now about the sensitivity of Kashmir dispute which is distinct in nature and cannot be equated with any other issue, he added.
The spokesperson reminded that Kashmir is an international issue and there are several United Nations Security Council resolutions on it.
Commenting on the Pentagon’s decision not to provide $ 300 million to Pakistan in military reimbursements, the spokesperson categorically said that Pakistan is taking action against all the terrorist groups without any distinction.
He reminded that Pakistan has suffered more than any other country in the war on terror both in terms of human and economic losses. Sixty thousand people including six thousand security personnel have lost their lives in this war.
He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb has seen a resounding success due to which last bastions of terrorists in the tribal areas have been cleared. He said Pakistan will continue its fight against terrorism with firm resolve and determination and will ensure that the cleared areas do not slide back to the terrorists.
Responding to a question about the proscription of Jamaat-e-Ahrar by the United States, the spokesperson said Pakistan welcomes the decision. He said Pakistan has long been pleading to take concrete action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups which are perpetrating attacks in Pakistan while operating from Afghanistan.
Zakariya said the primary objective of border managment with Afghanistan is to regulate the movement of people and avert the incursions of terrorists and undesired elements. He said the two sides have evolved a mechanism to discuss the border related issues. However, we are surprised and disappointed over the recent statements of Afghanistan over the construction of gate at Torkham Border.
He clarified that the construction of the gate is not an unfriendly act but is aimed at regulating the cross border movement of the people. He also clarified that there are no bilateral agreements between the two countries barring the construction of the gate which the Pakistani side has erected well inside its territory.
About the stranded Pakistani people in Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said Pakistani mission there has taken adequate steps to address their problems. To a great extent, the crisis is over, he added.