ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Thursday that it is taking ‘steps’ through legal means to ensure that justice is served in murder case of American journalist Daniel Pearl following Joe Biden administration expressing ‘deep concerns’ over acquittal of the main accused, Ahmed Omar Sheikh.
Speaking at his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said during a recent telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi underscored that it was important and in the mutual interest that justice is served through legal means.
He said the foreign minister also highlighted the steps that have been taken in this regard.
In this regard, he added that a review petition has already been filed in the Supreme Court against the judgment of acquittal in Daniel Pearl case, adding that the federal government has also joined the petition filed by the government of Sindh.
“The government of Pakistan remains committed to ensure that justice is served in this case,” he said.
About any expected contact between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Joe Biden, the spokesperson said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relationship with the US and “exchange of visits and telephone calls is an important hallmark of this relationship”.
“Both sides remain engaged through the diplomatic channels,” he said without giving further details.
About the situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Chaudhri said that the BJP regime in India has issued more than three million fake domiciles to non-Kashmiris to change demography in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He said besides killings and tortures, thousands of innocent Kashmiris are being kept in illegal detention to suppress the freedom struggle.
He said Pakistan’s missions around the world will arrange seminars and also engage the international media to highlight the atrocities and human rights violations being committed by the Indian forces in the occupied territory.
“The illegal actions of Indian regime are a clear manifestation of state terrorism,” he added.
To another question, he said that Pakistan has principled stand on Kashmir issue and it wants that the issue must be settled through UN Security Council resolutions.
About India’s efforts to become permanent member of UN Security Council, he asked that how a country which thoroughly violates human rights and poses a threat to regional peace can become permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He asserted that India neither qualifies for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council nor for its non-permanent membership.
In response to a question about Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent statement that Pakistan and India should resolve Kashmir dispute peacefully through a dignified manner, he said the statement by the COAS when compared to the statements by the Indian military leadership clearly shows the difference of approach and mindset.
He said the army chief’s statement is a manifestation of Pakistan’s firm commitment to the ideals of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
On the contrary, he added that the Indian military officials have been making careers out of issuing irresponsible and provocative statements against Pakistan.
“The belligerent rhetoric of the Indian military leadership is an example of RSS-BJP mindset, which has permeated all state institutions of India. India’s defense limitations have been embarrassingly exposed to the world, first in Balakot and then in Ladakh. Needless to say Indian leadership, political and military, must realise that their overcompensating braggadocio only imperils regional peace and security,” he said.
About the possible dialogue, he said that the onus is on India to create an enabling environment for “meaningful” dialogue.
The spokesperson also rejected media reports alleging Pakistan for supporting the farmers’ protest in India, saying that Pakistan has been repeatedly saying that under the RSS-BJP combine India is no more a democracy but an extremist Hindutva regime. “Today, the international community is coming around to this view,” he added.
About the Afghan peace process, he said that Pakistan supports Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process in Afghanistan and will extend all out cooperation for establishment of peace in that country.
“We believe there is a need to build on the important milestones achieved in the Afghan peace process. It is now up to the Afghan leaders to seize this historic opportunity and work out an inclusive, broad based and comprehensive political settlement for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan also hopes to see a reduction in violence in Afghanistan, leading to the ceasefire.
When asked to comment on the statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claiming that they have conducted “Intelligence Operation” in Pakistan, leading to the release of two of their elite soldiers who were captured for the past two and a half years, the spokesperson expressed his inability to comment, saying: “We will revert to you on your first question.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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