ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria on Thursday said India is financing terror and targeting China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said this in a weekly media briefing. Zakaria said India is doing unprovoked firing and shelling on LoC and Working Boundary to divert the attention from human rights’ violations in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).
He said Indian forces around 300 times violated LoC and Working Boundary in 2016. India breached the ceasefire agreement of 2003. He said that India targeting civilian population and killed 44 civilian and injured around 135 along LoC. But, it’s contrary Pakistan not targeting civilian.
To a question, the spokesman said the director general military operations (DGMO) had contacted his Indian counterpart over hotline on Wednesday. He said the DGMO told the Indian official that targeting of civilian population on LoC was not acceptable.
Zakaria said Pakistan has taken up the issue of human rights violations in IHK with international community. He said that in Austrian Senate and House of Commons of Britain members raised the human rights violations in Kashmir. He said CPEC was not only beneficial for Sino-Pak but also for the region. He said it would benefit Central Asia, West Asia and other regions. He said India had openly opposed it. Indian arrested spy Kulbhushan Yadev confessed that he and his network had tried to sabotage the project.
Zakaria said Pakistan would participate in the Heart of Asia Conference in India. The conference aims at bringing peace to Afghanistan.
He said that Pak-Britain relations are rock solid and both countries want to concentrate on boosting trade and investment.
To a question regarding raising MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s issue with Britain, Zakaria said the issue might be discussed by Interior Minister, who recently visited the UK.
On the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s response on Kashmir, he said that he said both countries India and Pakistan have to resolve Kashmir issue through dialogue. He said Pakistan always welcomed the offer of dialogue.
He said Indian hostilities at the LoC and other attempts to raise tension were aimed at diverting world’s attention from gross human rights violations of Indian forces in IHK.
He said more than 150 people have been martyred and more than 1000 blinded, partially or completely, and over 16,000 have been injured, scores of among them are critical and maimed for the rest of their lives.
To a question, he said, Pakistan has only responded to the Indian aggression forcefully, proportionately and in a befitting manner. He, however, said it remained the endeavour of the Pakistan Army not to target civilians.
He said Pakistan has forcefully raised its voice against these acts of Indian aggression to sensitise the international community about Indian designs in the region and how Indian irresponsible attitude could be detrimental to the peace of the region.
