ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday said that Sri Lanka has not sought any formal assistance from Pakistani forensics experts regarding the blasts that took place in Colombo on Easter.
He informed that President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called their respective Sri Lankan counterparts and affirmed that the people and government of Pakistan stood by Sri Lankan people at this crucial juncture.
Dr Faisal said three Pakistani women sustained injuries in the blasts and our embassy in Colombo was making every effort to facilitate them and keeping in touch with their families.
Replying to a question regarding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement in Iran, he said the statement was referring to non-state actors using Pakistani soil under foreign influence to carry out activities in Pakistan or coordinating from Pakistan.
“Pakistan is attacked using the soil of Iran and Afghanistan as in case of Kulbhushan Jadhav and local facilitators,” he added.
He clarified that his statement regarding Dr Siddiqui had been reported ‘out of the context’.
He said steps were underway to bring Dr Siddiqui back to home and the matter of her return was continuously being raised with Washington. “We are in touch with Dr Aafia and her family and will continue efforts to bring her back to Pakistan,” Dr Faisal said.
Replying to a question he said Pakistan’s stance regarding Dr Siddiqui and Dr Shakeel Afridi was the same as before and there was no change in it.
The spokesperson said the suspension of Kashmir border trade confidence-building measures were regrettable. It showed India’s non-serious attitude towards its relation with neighbouring countries and regional peace, he added.
“Pakistan is committed to Kartarpur Corridor and waiting for the next meeting with India in this regard,” he added.
Dr Faisal said Pakistan was deeply concerned regarding the plight of Kashmiris and incarceration of Hurriyet leaders and condemned the continued incarceration of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik despite his deteriorating health.
He said that Indian atrocities were continuing in occupied Kashmir as Indian occupied forces in their latest acts of violence martyred the two youth in Bijbehara.
Replying to another query, he said no firing range was being constructed in the embassy of the United States (US) Islamabad. “Islamabad Police and the US embassy are cooperating for upgradation of Islamabad Capital Territory’s firing range facilities,” he added.
He said efforts to bring back the Pakistanis prisoners from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were underway and the nation would soon hear good news about it.