FO calls Jadhav proof of Indian involvement

• Spokesperson says Indian agent made repeated confessions before authorities concerned

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria has said that India remains involved in subversive, terrorist and terror financing activities in Pakistan and the arrest of Indian Navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav is an irrefutable proof of it.

During weekly media briefing on Thursday, he said that Jadhav was an Indian agent who was caught red-handed in perpetuation of terrorist activities in Pakistan. Jadhav made repeated confessions of terrorist and terror financing activities in Pakistan before authorities concerned, he added.

Replying to a question, the spokesperson said that Muhammad Habib Zahir was a retired army officer of Pakistan and went to Nepal for a job interview, adding he was actually entrapped there. However, he said that how a person who was retired long time ago could be involved in Jadhav case, adding the issue of the retired lieutenant colonel was taken up with the Nepal government.

Answering another question, Zakaria said that the state terrorism was being perpetuated in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) by the Indian forces. He said that it was diplomatic and political commitment of Pakistan to raise the issue of crimes against the humanity in the disputed state at all world forums.

He said that only in the last one week (April 6-12), the Indian forces killed 14 Kashmiris, injured over 250 while 21 pellet victims may lose eyesight. On April 9, indiscriminate firing, use of pellets and PAVA on peaceful protesters by the Indian forces killed eight civilians out of which seven including five students killed in Budgam district and one in Ganderbal district.

Next day, they killed four more Kashmiris, he said. “We have strongly condemned Indian atrocities in Kashmir and constantly raised the issue at international forums and on all occasions,” he said. He also said that the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also expressed deep concerns during his visit to Pakistan over the situation of human rights violations in the disputed state.

For the last five consecutive days, all mobile communication networks have been stopped by occupying forces in the disputed state, he said, adding that Kashmiri people in prison were also facing terror. He said that the Kashmiri leadership remains either in detention or under-arrest in the disputed state.