Pakistan not to accept any foreign pressure on Masood Azhar’s issue: FO

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Thursday declared that Pakistan will not act against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar under any foreign pressure and whatever decision comes about Azhar will be in best national interest. 

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal told his weekly media briefing that no foreign pressure will influence Pakistan’s position on Masood Azhar.

“We have a very clear stance about Masood Azhar. Whatsoever decision is taken, it will be in the best national interest and not under any [foreign] pressure”, the spokesperson said while responding to a question about the efforts by certain powers including the US, France and Britain to move a resolution in United Nations Security Council to designate Azhar as “global terrorist”.

The statement comes following Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang on Wednesday said that China’s position on the issue of Masood Azhar’s listing as an international terrorist is consistent and clear, adding that China will oppose any such move in the UN Security Council.

Last month, China blocked, for the fourth time in 10 years, India’s bid in the UN Security Council to designate Masood Azhar as “global terrorist”, by putting a technical hold on the proposal.

Responding to a question, Faisal also rejected the Indian defence minister’s statement who accused Pakistan of interfering in the country’s ongoing parliamentary election. He said that Pakistan has no interest to interfere in the elections of any other country, including India.

Referring to Indian atrocities in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he strongly condemned the continued repression of the Kashmiri people by Indian forces in the occupied valley and urged the international community to assert pressure on India to halt the continued use of force against innocent Kashmiris and play their due role to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

Responding another query about the recent waves of terrorism in Balochistan, he said that investigation are continued to ascertain the involvement of any foreign hand in the recent acts of terrorism.

“Everybody knows that we have Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in the custody after he confessed involvement in acts of terrorism in the country. Let the probe conclude, we will expose the foreign hands behind these terror incidents if proved”, he added.

To another question, he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his visit to Iran from April 21-22, will hold talks with Iranian leadership on all issues of mutual interests, including on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.