Foreign Office Wednesday censured the irresponsible attempts by a section of Indian media to link detention of some Pakistanis in Sri Lanka with the recent terror attacks in the country. Responding to media queries, Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal characterised as completely irresponsible the attempts by a section of Indian media to link detention of some Pakistanis in Sri Lanka with the recent events there.
He said that according to the information shared by Sri Lankan officials, seven Pakistanis were recently detained by the law enforcement authorities on account of overstay on their visas. "This is a purely consular matter and projecting it in any other manner is patently mischievous," the spokesperson added.
He added that such attempts by elements in Indian media were reflective of a particular, though familiar, mindset bent on twisting facts to malign Pakistan on any pretext.
He also drew attention to the call of the Sri Lankan leadership to avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. In a series of attacks on Sunday, as many as 359 people were killed when Sri Lanka was hit by the worst terrorist attacks in its history. A total of eight explosions rocked the cities of Colombo, Negambo and Batticaloa, targeting Catholic churches and hotels. Soon after that a section of Indian media started levelling accusations and alleged that some Pakistani nationals were arrested by Sri Lankan police in connection with these attacks.