Army chief’s ‘peace in all directions’ statement reflects Pakistan’s desire for regional security: FO

ISLAMABAD: The statement of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on ‘extending hand of peace in all directions’ is reflective of Pakistan’s desire for peace and security in the region, besides resolution of core issues including Kashmir, the Foreign Office said Thursday.

“The statement is a reiteration of the importance of peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said at a weekly press briefing.

Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in response to a question regarding the recent statement of General Bajwa made at graduation ceremony at PAF Academy termed it “a manifestation of Pakistan’s firm commitment to the ideals of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.”

On the contrary, he said, the Indian military officials had been making careers out of issuing irresponsible and provocative statements against Pakistan, which he said ,clearly showed the “difference of approach and mindset”.

The Spokesperson said the belligerent rhetoric of the Indian military leadership was an example of RSS-BJP mindset, which had permeated all state institutions of India.

“India’s defence limitations have been embarrassingly exposed to the world, first in Balakot and then in Ladakh,” he said, stressing that “Indian leadership, political and military, must realize that their overcompensating braggadocio only imperils regional peace and security”.

On situation in India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), he said during the last week, in brazen manifestation of state terrorism, the Indian occupation forces martyred three more Kashmiris, in “fake encounters” and staged “cordon-and-search” operations in Tral and Pulwama.

He said during the same period, over half a dozen Kashmiri youth were arbitrarily arrested in south Kashmir districts.

The FO Spokesperson said the unabated cold-blooded murders and brutalization of innocent Kashmiris were a clear manifestation of state-terrorism to which unarmed Kashmiris had been subjected to for over seven decades.

He mentioned that prominent Kashmiri leadership continued to remain incarcerated in Indian prisons under inhuman conditions on false and fabricated charges.

Meanwhile, he said, the BJP-RSS regime continues its despicable efforts to change the demographic structure of IIOJK in clear violation of the UNSC resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.

Zahid Chaudhri said according to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, 3,380,234 fake Domicile Certificates had already been issued till January 25.

He called upon the international community to take immediate cognizance of this dire situation and take practical steps to stop India from such illegal and inhuman actions.

“The world community must also work for expeditious resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in line with the UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” he said.

On February 5, he said, the occasion was about expressing solidarity with Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the right to self-determination and also to condemn India for its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK.

He said on Kashmir Day, one-minute silence would be observed throughout the county and special prayers to be offered for the Kashmiri martyrs, who have laid down their lives, struggling against the illegal and inhuman Indian occupation.

Also, he said solidarity walks would be held in Islamabad, all provincial capitals and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to express unity with the Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

Regarding a petition filed with the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Jodhpur incident, he said India continued to remain evasive on the horrific incident where 11 Pakistani Hindus including five children and four women were killed in India under mysterious circumstance last year.

The Spokesperson said the family of the deceased and the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council had pleaded that the ashes of the deceased had not been provided to the victims’ family for performing the religious rites besides hinting at the involvement of Indian Agency ‘Research and Analysis Wing’ in the incident.

He said India gave not explanation as to why the bodies of the deceased were hastily cremated without informing the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi and why a postmortem in the presence of Pakistan High Commission’s doctor was not permitted despite repeated requests.

He mentioned that India had also not shared the pictures of the crime scene especially before the removal of the dead bodies, statements of the witnesses particularly neighbours, forensic report and the detailed investigation report.

“Since the deceased were Pakistani nationals, the Government of India was obligated to fully cooperate with Pakistan; carry out a comprehensive and transparent investigation and share its findings with Pakistan,” he said.

The FO Spokesperson said the batch of 500,000 doses of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine received from China this week was being used to inoculate the front-line health workers as part of government’s efforts to save precious lives.

On Pak-U.S. ties, he said Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his telephonic conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken underscored commitment to forge a comprehensive partnership “based on convergence of interests on a whole range of issues”.

He said the Foreign Minister stressed that the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan had a new vision that placed premium on “forging economic partnership, building a peaceful neighborhood, and enhancing regional connectivity”.

In the context of recent developments in the Daniel Pearl case, he mentioned that Foreign Minister underscored that it was important and in the mutual interest that “justice was served through legal means”.