–FO spokesperson says full implementation of APAPPS will lead to regional stability
–Pakistan condemns Indian ceasefire violations along LoC, WB
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal on Thursday stated that the United States (US) has assured Pakistan of launching an investigation against Defence Attaché Colonel Emanuel Joseph involved in a road accident that led to death a youth in Islamabad.
During a weekly presser, the spokesperson in an attempt to explain the abrupt departure of the envoy—already booked at Kohsar Police Station—said that the accused couldn’t be tried in Pakistan as he held diplomatic immunity; however, he will be put on trial in the US.
The details on the matter of ‘diyat’ paid to the victim’s family were not available with the FO, he added.
Commenting on the travel restrictions imposed on US diplomats and their families in Pakistan, Dr Faisal said that the decision was made in response to the restrictions on Pakistani diplomats under which the US diplomats were barred from travelling beyond 25 kilometre radius.
In reply to a question about why other restrictions were also imposed on the diplomats of US, the FO spokesperson said replied that Pakistan only withdrew additional facilities that were provided to the US officials. These special facilities included permission to use diplomatic license plates, tinted car windows and installation of communication devices in their vehicles.
Moreover, Dr Faisal condemned India’s act of not permitting the daughter of renowned Pakistan poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, 72-year old Moneeza Hashmi, to speak at an event in their country even though she had been extended an invitation.
Expressing Pakistan’s commitment to the two-state solution of the Palestine-Israel conflict and recent Gaza violence, the spokesperson asserted Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Turkey to discuss the Israeli attack on Palestinian protesters in Gaza that killed 60.
“The government and people of Pakistan stand firmly with the Palestinian people also renews the call for the establishment of a viable, independent and the contiguous state of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters,” he added.
PAKISTAN CONDEMNS INDIAN CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS ALONG LOC, WB:
FO on Wednesday summoned the Indian acting deputy high commissioner and condemned Tuesday’s unprovoked ceasefire violations by the occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Hotspring’s Sector, which resulted in the martyrdom of an innocent civilian, Chaudhry Muzaffar in Dehra Sher Khan village.
Dr Faisal said that the Indian Forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons.
“This year, the Indian forces have carried out more than 1000 ceasefire violations along the LoC and WB, resulting in the martyrdom of 24 innocent civilians and 107 others getting injured,” he said.
The unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing since 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations, he said. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws, he added.
“The Indian ceasefire violations are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” he said.
Indian state terrorism continued unabated during the past week in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), where occupation forces constantly terrorise the people with violent operations, fake encounters, illegal house searches, targeting people and damaging property in Srinagar, Shopian, Pulwama, Islamabad, Kulgam, Kupwara, Bandipore and Baramulla districts of IOK, he added.
“We condemn the unlawful detention of the Hurriyet leaders, including Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Massrat Alam Bhat, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Dr Qasim Fakhtoo, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajud Din Kalwal, Farooq Ahmad Dar, 55-year-old, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen, as well as students and youth who are languishing in different jails of IOK and India,” he said.
He highly deplored the arrest of Hurriyet leaders Bashir Ahmad Lone and Muhammad Rafiq Shah Owais under draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) for merely participating in funeral prayers of martyr Prof Dr Muhammad Rafiq Bhat in Ganderbal.
He urged the international community to play its role in calling upon India to account for its crimes against humanity in Kashmir. Like many other public figures and leader of IOK, Shabir Shah has been arrested for his non-violent political struggle for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Despite the urgent need to ensure his safety, he has not been shifted to a high-risk ward and authorities continue to torment him by giving him no access to medical facilities, he said and added, several other incarcerated leaders and political activists languish in various Indian jails for their political beliefs.
“We condemn the political vendetta that they face and will continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the oppressed people of IOK for the realisation of the inalienable right to self-determination,” he added.
He said that on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to occupied Kashmir, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik have called for a march towards Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Saturday.
He recalled that the fourth meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) was held in Islamabad on May 14 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.
In pursuance of the seven principles agreed in the meeting between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during his visit to Kabul on April 6, the two sides finalised the APAPPS, which operationalised the six working groups envisaged under APAPPS, he said.
APAPPS provides a framework to deepen interaction in all spheres of bilateral engagements. It is also a mechanism for finding solutions to bilateral areas of concern.
He said both sides agreed that effective and full implementation of APAPPS would contribute towards the common objectives of eliminating terrorism and achieving peace, stability, prosperity and development of the people of the two countries.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan condemned the multiple missile attacks on Jazan and Riyadh by the Houthi militia. The successful interception of the missiles by the Saudi forces prevented loss of innocent lives and was commendable, he added.
He said, “Pakistan reiterates its solidarity with Saudi leadership and people and stands by Saudi Arabia against any threats to its territorial integrity and threats against Harmain Sharifain.”
He also said that PM Abbasi had extended the deepest felicitations to Dr Mahathir Muhammad on becoming the prime minister of Malaysia.
“The prime minister underscored that the unprecedented victory of Pakatan Harapan is the clear demonstration of Malaysian people’s trust in the dynamic and inspirational leadership of Dr Mahathir,” he added.
“The prime minister underlined that the relationship between the two brotherly Muslim countries has grown from strength to strength over the decades and also hoped that under the leadership of Dr Mahathir, the bilateral relations between two countries would be further broadened and deepened in diverse fields, particularly economy and trade,” he concluded.
