–FO says Pakistan looks forward to positive engagement with US
–Says Pakistan will support efforts for Afghan peace
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday, strongly condemning Indian violations of sending spy drones across the Line of Control (LoC), said that any misadventure by India would be responded in a befitting manner.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Muhammad Faisal, during a weekly press briefing, said, “Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness.”
The Pakistan Army recently shot down two Indian spy quad-copters in the Poonch sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which was being used by the Indian military for intelligence gathering about the Pakistani posts through aerial photography and for selection of cross-LoC firing targets.
The spokesman said, “Our forces remain vigilant and have responded effectively to these threats.
“Any misadventure by India would be responded in a befitting manner.”
He categorically rejected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement about carrying out surgical strike within Pakistan back in 2016, and said that “no surgical strike took place and this fact was seconded by the Indian media as well”.
Indian Prime Minister Modi, in an interview with an Indian newspaper, had said that “one surgical strike would not make Pakistan fall in line”.
Muhammad Faisal termed reports of passports of 23 Indian Sikh pilgrims misplaced by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as “baseless and speculative”. He said that the Pakistan High Commission smoothly handled several thousand passports with over 3,800 visas issued for the 549th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in Kartarpur.
In response to United States President Donald Trump’s remarks that “he looked forward to meeting Pakistan’s new leadership”, the spokesman said, “We also look forward to positive engagement with the US at the leadership level.”
He further said that Trump’s remarks were “indeed a departure from his tweet of January 1, 2018”. Trump on the first day of 2018 had posted a tweet, saying that Pakistan’s leadership had not done enough to help the US thwart militants in the region.
To a question on Pakistan’s direct role in facilitating the next round of Afghan reconciliation process, with a possibility of being held in Saudi Arabia or Qatar, the spokesman said that Pakistan would continue its outreach to regional countries and important international partners for mutually beneficial cooperation and to advance the peace process.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would also undertake an official visit to Qatar in January on mutually agreed dates between the two governments.
About reports of a militant commander, involved in a terrorist attack against Pakistan, residing in an Afghan city, he said, “It is important that Afghanistan does not let any country, terrorist group or individual use its territory against Pakistan.”
When asked about possible fallout of the US pullout from Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan being the immediate neighbour, would support any development leading to peace and stability of Afghanistan and the region.
“It is Pakistan’s genuine desire that peace returns to Afghanistan allowing the return of Afghan refugees and an era of prosperity and normalcy begins in the region,” he said.
When attention was drawn to Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) recently-released rules and regulations for citizens of seven countries, including Israel for conditional entry into Pakistan, the spokesman said, “Pakistan does not recognise Israel.” He refused to comment any further and said that the question was related to the interior ministry.
On Turkey taking over the Fetullah Gulen’s FETO-linked schools in Pakistan, he said that the decision was in implementation of the verdict of Supreme Court (SC). The top court had ordered the government to declare FETO a terror group.
The spokesman rejected a news item of the New York Times that said that Pakistan had secretly sent 1,000 army troops to Yemen.
To a question about breach of construction rules by missions inside the Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad, he said that so far Capital Development Authority (CDA) had not brought any such violation to the notice of foreign ministry.
On an update on cases related to the employees of the foreign ministry, the spokesman said that a special fact-finding officer was sent to a mission in Bulgaria to probe the embezzlement, to which the accountant concerned accepted the responsibility. On his return, the case would be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he added. He said that the case regarding the high commissioner in South Africa was sub-judice and his travel to Pakistan was in line with the relevant rules. He said that misinformation was circulated about Ambassador Leena Moazzam and after an inquiry that exonerated her, she was sent to Belarus by the previous government.
About the case of ambassador to Rome, he said that an inquiry was undertaken by commerce ministry and foreign ministry and the report was shared with the ombudsperson. Besides, the deputy head of mission in Singapore had been recalled and the action is being taken in this regard, he added.