Enquiry into anti-Pakistan ads underway, UK assures Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has conveyed its concern on the display of anti-Pakistan advertising on London Cabs, both to the British High Commission in Islamabad and the Foreign Commonwealth Office in the UK, a statement issued by Foreign Office said on Thursday.

The Transport for London (TfL) authorities, after taking suitable action for removal of the anti-Pakistan material, have initiated an enquiry into the matter and assured disciplinary action against the perpetrators.

Pakistan appreciates the prompt steps taken against such propaganda which impinges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. “We are aware of the sinister intentions behind such malicious campaigns,” the statement said, adding “these [acts] should not be repeated anywhere.”

On Friday following the emergence of posters, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua had summoned the British High Commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew in this regard, and protested the display of “anti-Pakistan slogans” on London cabs “that directly attack its territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

The FO statement said that “the high commissioner was informed that Pakistan, in line with the UN Charter, rejects actions and advertisements with malicious content that impinge on our sovereignty and territorial integrity.” It said that the “issue was also being raised with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by our High Commissioner in London”.

Earlier this year during the United Nation General Assembly meeting, similar posters had appeared in the Swiss city of Geneva, irking Pakistani people and government to a large extent.

Pakistan also launched a complaint to the Swiss authorities, saying “Any notion of ‘Free Baluchistan’ is a flagrant attack on [the] sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.”

The Foreign Office spokesperson had blamed India for the emergence of the anti-Pakistan posters in Geneva, Switzerland. Moreover, Pakistan had linked the posters to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which, he said, is a “listed terrorist organisation under the laws of Pakistan and other countries, including the United Kingdom.”