ISLAMABAD: Pakistan once again called on the United Nations, on Thursday, to thoroughly investigate the India's use of Pegasus spyware on public figures including Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a weekly press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesman, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, reiterated that the UN should bring the facts to light and hold the Indian perpetrators to account.
"We've noted with serious concern and condemn in strongest possible terms the Indian government's recently-exposed organized spying operations using an Israeli origin spyware - Pegasus," he added.
He said that the reported targets of these massive spying operations included journalists, politicians, human rights activists, business executives, public health experts, foreign diplomats in India and the Kashmiri leaders.
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"Reportedly, the targeted telephones also included at least one number used by Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as hundreds of others in Pakistan," he added.
Keeping a clandestine tab on dissenting voices is a long-standing textbook ploy of the RSS-BJP regime, he said, adding the world has seen the true face of the so-called Indian democracy when the reports of EU Disinfo Lab, Indian Chronicles, surfaced last year.
He maintained that in view of the gravity of these reports, we call on the relevant UN bodies to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring the facts to light, and hold the Indian perpetrators to account.
About the recent visit of Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, he said that the visit was a follow up to Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Saudi Arabia in May this year.
During the visit, he added, the Saudi foreign minister held delegation-level talks with the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and also called on President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
"During these meetings, the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, welfare of Pakistani diaspora in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, regional situation and peace in Afghanistan were discussed," he added.
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Chaudhri said that the two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction on the ongoing work related to the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC), which is aimed at imparting strategic direction to the development of Pakistan-Saudi relations.
He said that Qureshi offered Pakistan's full support in realisation of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, including by sharing of experience and provision of requisite professional and technical manpower.
He said that the foreign minister also highlighted the transformational China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative and noted the vast opportunities for investment in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) developed under the CPEC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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