India trying to damage Afghan peace process: FO

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Thursday urged the world to act against India as it had endangered the regional and global peace.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri demanded of the international community, especially the United Nations and Human Rights bodies, to take note of the egregious human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and illegal incarceration of Kashmiris.

He reiterated Pakistan’s principled position for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

He said that India should immediately end illegal incarceration of Kashmir leaders on fabricated charges. Chaudhri said India was spoiling all peace initiates by regular firing along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary. “India is also trying to damage the peace process in Afghanistan,” he added.

He said that Kashmiri leaders are under illegal detention in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India, including the infamous Tihar Jail. 

Chaudhri said that incarceration of Kashmiri people was against the fundamental human rights, international conventions, and the international law.

The spokesperson said Pakistan condemned framing of concocted, fabricated, and politically motivated charges against Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik.

He said that a fictitious case relating to gunning down of four Indian Air Force personnel was launched against Yasin Malik in March last year by the TADA Court.

“The timing of reopening of old cases suggests that the BJP government is determined to frame the Hurriyat leadership for resisting the illegal Indian occupation of the Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

India, he said, stood exposed before the world for its crimes against humanity and role in promoting terrorism in the region.

The spokesperson said the RSS-BJP regime continues to be exposed internationally for its negative propaganda against Pakistan and irresponsible actions, imperilling peace and stability in the region.

“The recent developments regarding Arnab Goswami’s WhatsApp chats leaks have further exposed India’s sinister designs against Pakistan and vindicated our long held position,” he pointed out.

The latest revelations confirm what Pakistan has consistently pointed out that the BJP government stages “false flag” operations; maligns Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations; stokes hyper-nationalism in the country and then deviously manipulates national sentiment in its bid to win elections, he said.

“We had, at the outset, rejected India’s malicious propaganda against Pakistan and highlighted that the biggest beneficiary of the Pulwama attack in February 2019 was the BJP government, as it secured landslide victory in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections,” Chaudhri said.

The transcripts also illustrate the unholy nexus between the ‘Hindutva’ regime and its cronies in the Indian media, he said.

“We hope that the international community would take full cognizance of the situation and hold India accountable for its actions vitiating the regional environment and endangering peace and security in South Asia,” said the spokesperson.

He said India continues to remain evasive on the horrific incident in Jodhpur, where eleven members of a Pakistani Hindi family died in India under mysterious circumstance.

The spokesperson said Pakistan was committed to enhance ties with the United States under new President Joe Biden.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has congratulated the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R Biden on the occasion of his inauguration,” he said.   

Chaudhri said the Prime Minister had sent a clear message that Pakistan was looking forward to working with President Biden in building a stronger Pakistan-United States partnership through trade and economic engagement; countering climate change; improving public health; combating corruption; and promoting peace in the region and beyond.

He said leader of Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami, Afghanistan, Ustad Karim Khalili, visited Islamabad along with his delegation recently.

“During the visit, Ustad Khalili called on the Prime Minister and met with the Speaker National Assembly, the Foreign Minister and other dignitaries. The visit of Ustad Khalili was part of Pakistan’s ongoing policy to reach out to political leadership in Afghanistan to forge common understanding on the Afghan peace process and deepen people-to-people linkages,” he added.

He said Minister of Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, had addressed a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for constitution of an investigation team under the auspices of the United Nations to investigate the deaths of eleven Pakistani Hindus.

“Since the deceased were Pakistani nationals, it is incumbent upon the Government of Pakistan to be fully aware of the circumstances under which its nationals died in India. The government of India is obligated to fully cooperate with Pakistan,” he said.

Chaudhri congratulated the nation, on the conduct of successful flight test of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a range of 2,750 kilometers.

“We deeply appreciate the dedication, commitment and technical prowess of the scientists, engineers and the armed forces of Pakistan in making the launch successful. The successful flight test is part of Pakistan’s strategic capability manifestation, which is aimed at ensuring credible deterrence against any aggression,” he said.