Anti-Imran campaigns: Pakistan tells Indian media to ‘grow up’

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal on Thursday asked Indian media to “grow up”, following a spate of anti-Imran Khan campaigns on Indian TV channels in the recent days.

While addressing a weekly press briefing, the FO spokesman said, “India is involved in stoking terrorism in different parts of Pakistan and the arrest of Kulbushan Yadav is ample evidence in this regard.”

Strongly condemning Indian brutalities in occupied Kashmir, the spokesperson urged New Delhi to permit the UN commission of inquiry to visit the occupied valley and find facts on the ground. “India is carrying out ceasefire violations on the Line of Control to divert world attention from its atrocities in occupied Kashmir,” he said.

He also said that “Pakistan is ready to host the SAARC summit at the earliest so that the matters can move forward”.

Responding to another question, the FO spokesperson said, “Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in developing a time-bound repatriation plan for the early and complete return of Afghan refugees to their homeland.”

“An Afghan delegation will soon be visiting Islamabad for consultations,” he added.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson rejected as ‘baseless’ Afghan officials’ allegations that elements from Pakistan were involved in a recent terror attack in Ghazni, saying, “Pakistan has always supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and it will welcome any ceasefire agreement between the parties there.”

Furthermore, speaking about the delegation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is currently visiting the country, the spokesperson said that the Finance Ministry is working with them and will review the implementation of an action plan it issued earlier this year.

The delegation, comprising members of Asia Pacific Group on money laundering, is visiting to have a detailed review of a report submitted to the global watchdog by Islamabad.

In June, Pakistan was formally added to the grey list of countries involved in providing monetary assistance to terrorism and related causes after a FATF meeting in Paris.

According to FATF’s statement, following the decision Pakistan had committed to “address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies”.