ISLAMABAD: Maintenance of peace and stability in South Asia is the cornerstone of Pakistan's policy as we are opposed to nuclear or conventional arms race in the region, Foreign Office spokesperson Thursday said.
Pakistan's nuclear capability is solely for self-defense and we are committed to credible minimum deterrence, Nafees Zakaria during the weekly briefing at the foreign office said.
Responding to a query he said India's massive arms-buying spree and the consequent conventional asymmetry continue to be a threat to regional peace and stability.
Pakistan does not want to indulge in any arms race and remains committed to pursuing arms control and restraint measures. We believe that the region's scarce resources should be devoted to the socioeconomic uplift of its people, he remarked.
To a question about the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed contrary to Indian involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan, he said there is irrefutable evidence of Indian state actors involvement in perpetrating terrorist activities and terror financing in Pakistan.
Indian state institutions have carried out terrorist attacks on Indian soil and blamed it on others. Confessions of Kulbhushan Yadav and leader of terrorist organization RSS, Swami Aseemanand, revelations made in Maharashtra's Inspector General of Police, S.M. Mushrif's book entitled 'Who Killed Karkare', British Authors Kathy Scott and Adrian Levy's narration in their book 'The Meadows', and US Secretary of Defence, Chuck Hagel's statement are testimonies of Indian state institutions deep involvement in carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.
He said India should take corrective actions for itself rather than commenting on other countries affairs. Replying to another question he said Pakistan has taken all actions against the proscribed elements that are required under the UN sanctions.
Pakistan's action against terrorist elements without discrimination in the larger national interest as well as our sacrifices and losses have been repeatedly acknowledged and appreciated by all the countries.
Our commitment to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from its roots is beyond doubt, he said.
The spokesperson was asked if Pakistan has ever raised the issue of the US declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents in the UN, whereby it was revealed that Indian PM Indira Gandhi planned attacking Azad Kashmir region, after India's subversive role in the events of 1971 in East Pakistan.
The CIA documents also revealed that Indian Air Force (IAF) had also planned to attack Pakistan's nuclear facilities in 1984 to destroy Pakistan's strategic assets and breach territorial integrity.
Nafees Zakaria said Indian subversive activities to destabilize Pakistan since inception are an undeniable fact. Successive governments in India have maintained a hostile policy towards Pakistan and the main reason has been the Kashmir dispute.
It remains Indian endeavour to divert international attention from J&K dispute and the grave human rights violations that India has been constantly committing in IoK, he said.
India constantly violates the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir and avoids holding a free, fair and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the UN for the realization of the right of self determination of the people of IoK. Resolution of the J&K dispute is essential for peace and stability in South Asia.
The issue of Indian activities to destabilize Pakistan has been raised with the UN as well as the major powers on appropriate occasions, he said adding, We will continue to raise all such issues with international community that may warrant action.
India hides behind the bogey of terrorism while it carries out terrorist acts not only on its soil and blames it on others but also uses other countries soil to destabilize for terrorist activities especially against Pakistan, he said. India also finances terrorist activities in our country, he added.
India tries to portray Kashmiri indigenous movement as an act of terrorism. No country in the world has subscribed to this notion. The OIC, in its declaration adopted at Istanbul Summit, out-rightly rejected India's false claim of terrorism in Kashmir, he informed.
India is carrying out all these activities to, primarily, divert international attention from the atrocities it is committing in IoK, which has raised huge concerns among the international community.
He said there have been debates in the parliaments of many countries; civil society members from the UK, Europe, North America and the Nordic region are all raising their voice, and talking about India's crimes against humanity in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Many human rights organizations, he maintained, are carrying out activities to sensitize and create awareness amongst the world community, urging India to immediately halt bloodshed in IoK and early resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
After the genocide of over half a million Kashmiris in November 1947 by the Indian occupation forces in IoK, he said, India has been committing perpetual genocide of Kashmiris.
Since 1989, over 100,000 Kashmiris have been martyred, tens of thousands arrested have vanished into thin air without a trace till to date, tens of thousands have been maimed, and dishonouring of Kashmiri women has been used as a tool to suppress Kashmiri movement for self-determination, he added.
The gross human rights violations committed by Indian occupation forces since July 2016 have resulted in the deaths of more than 150 innocent civilians and injuries to more than 20,000. Indiscriminate use of pellet guns has blinded a thousand completely, including women and young children, he deplored.
The people of IoK have been denied their fundamental human rights including the right to life, health, education, housing, freedom of expression and right to self determination since the last 70 years.
Increasingly, sane voices in India are also accepting that Indian state terrorism is not an acceptable solution. The J&K dispute is a reality which cannot be wished away, he said.
"We call upon the international community to urge India to stop the bloodshed in IoK immediately and ensure resolution of the J&K dispute in line with the relevant UNSC resolution, he added.
To a question on the role of OIC, Nafees Zakaria said the OIC countries not only condemned India for the atrocities committed by the occupation forces but also called for an independent inquiry into the grave human rights violations in IoK.
He said the OIC being the biggest representative organization of the Muslim Ummah, is playing a very important role for safeguarding the interests of the Ummah worldwide.
Particularly in the context of Kashmir, "I would invite your attention to the declaration of 13th OIC Summit in Istanbul in April last year, which carried a strong reference on Kashmir."
He said the OIC declaration also rejected Indian propaganda of projecting indigenous movement of self-determination in IoK as an act of terrorism.
There is a special OIC Contact Group on Kashmir, which during the last year's OIC Summit in Istanbul also made a strong reference to resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In its ministerial conference last year in Tashkent at the 43rd session of ICFM, he said, the OIC took an even stronger stance on the issue of Kashmir and urged India to immediately bring to halt its bloodshed and genocide in the IoK.
In this regard the OIC is playing a key role in raising awareness about key issues facing the Muslim Ummah. All member states of the OIC are making genuine efforts towards this end, he said. Pakistan believes in the unity and solidarity of Muslim Ummah, he added.
To a question about the role of Hussain Haqqani, he said it was highly regrettable and deplorable that a person who was honoured to represent Pakistan has been indulging in activities that would hurt Pakistan's national interests.
Zakaria said unfortunately, he is doing all this at a time when the world is increasingly acknowledging Pakistan's growing economic potential in the wake of tremendous improvement in the security situation, investor friendly policies and strengthening of democratic institutions.
The more Haqqani does such malicious and unethical acts, more he exposes his character. He has not only lost respect among Pakistanis but also among those who attach importance to values.
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