Pakistan asks world to discourage Baloch separatists

Pakistan on Friday asked the countries that have given refuge to Baloch separatists to discourage the anti-Islamabad secessionist activities on their soil. In response to a query at his weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said, “The government of Pakistan has been trying to handle the situation politically. This is our internal matter. We will deal with this issue in our own constitutional political way.” “I can assure you that the Foreign Office and our missions abroad are engaged to ensure that this issue is not exploited to damage Pakistan. Regarding your reference to activities in Geneva, our Mission in Geneva is active and will ensure that the issue is not portrayed in a manner that some detractors of Pakistan are trying to do,” he said. He said, “We have made demarches to the relevant governments on these issues and we have been assured that their respective territories would not be used for anti-Pakistan activities. Last week, we made a demarche with the Embassy of Switzerland in this regard.” He was asked about the resolutions in the US Congress on condemnation of the situation in Balochistan and also that the Baloch separatists staging protest rallies in Geneva, what is the Foreign Office doing to handle this situation inside the country? The questioner also drew the spokesperson’s attention to the soil of Switzerland, the UK and US being used for anti-Pakistan activities.
KASHMIR NOT ON BACKBURNER: When asked about reports in the Indian media that Pakistan had decided to go ahead with a new approach towards India which would include freezing the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “You would agree with me that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is about the people of Kashmir; it is about their inalienable right to self-determination. There is, therefore, no question of freezing this issue or putting this core dispute on the back burner. Realistically speaking, nor it can be done.” “On the 5th of this month, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, in her address to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urged the Government of India to repeal, among others, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act,” Basit said.
“Doubtless, we are taking steps on the path to normalise Pakistan-India relations, but reaching the final destination will inevitably be contingent upon realisation of Kashmiris’ aspirations,” he said.
When asked about Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wajid alleging that Khalida Zia, a former Bangladeshi PM, had received money from the ISI during the elections there in the 1990s, he said, “I would refrain to say anything that it is part of their national politics. So it is better not to comment on that.”
To a question that there had been some discussion going on between former Indian and Pakistani army commanders, what was its significance and was it part of any policy planning, he said, “I am not aware if any such discussions are taking place. These discussions, if any, are in the private realm and not part of any government policy.” On reported visit of US CENTCOM chief, he said, “No date of the visit has yet been decided.”
When asked about the reports that the US was going to open a Consulate in Balochistan, Basit said, “I don’t think any decision has been taken in this regard. There was a request by the US some years ago. However, our government has not taken any decision on their suggestion.”