Sikh leader’s attempted assassination in US confirms Indian involvement in extra-territorial killings: FO

ISLAMABAD, : Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Friday said that the charges leveled by the United States against an Indian national for an attempted assassination of a Sikh leader on its soil confirmed that India was involved in the extra-territorial killings.

 

“These revelations released by the US authorities are the latest in a series of such reports that confirm the existence of a global network of Indian intelligence that is involved in espionage and extra-territorial killings,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in her weekly press briefing.

 

 

She said the network had been engaged in assassinations and abductions in South Asia for decades and Pakistan had remained a target of India’s state sponsored terrorism, subversion and espionage.

 

“We have been inviting international attention to these activities of Indian intelligence services as last year, Pakistan released a dossier with credible information on Indian involvement in the Lahore attack,” she said.

 

“We condemn these acts and believe that India’s irresponsible and reckless conduct is a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty.”

 

As regards the participation of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in the World Climate Action Summit, as part of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 (COP 28), the spokesperson said PM Kakar’s agenda in Dubai included high-level participation at the Summit and some bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

 

“He will address the Summit tomorrow, where he will present Pakistan’s vision for climate change, advocating for common commitments in mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, and the Loss and Damage Fund,” she said, adding that the prime minister would also emphasize equity and global cooperation for climate resilience.

 

At the COP 28, she said, Pakistan aimed to collaborate with developing countries for the operationalization of the ‘Loss and Damage Fund’, a meaningful outcome from the Global Stock Take, and the fulfillment of the long-overdue goal of mobilizing US$100 billion annually in climate finance.

 

With respect to the Palestine issue, she reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian brothers and sisters in the time of great ordeal and trauma for the Palestinian people.

 

“We are disappointed that after a brief pause, Israel has restarted bombing the Palestinian people. The temporary pause offered a crucial respite to the suffering people of Gaza and allowed exchange of prisoners,” she added.

 

She said the international community should take immediate and decisive steps to bring an end to Israel’s campaign of terror against the Palestinian civilians.

 

“Pakistan supports the call for a comprehensive investigation into attacks against medical facilities, schools, mosques, churches, residential buildings and water facilities and urges full accountability for the war crimes being perpetrated in occupied Palestine,” she added.

 

As regards situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Mumtaz Baloch said a few days ago, seven Kashmiri students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology in Ganderbal district were arrested for celebrating Australia’s victory over India in the final match of the Cricket World Cup.

 

She said the development was a clear manifestation of India’s misuse of counter-terrorism laws, and its erroneous and vicious application of terrorism charges.

 

She said that Additional Foreign Secretary (Africa) Ambassador Shaharyar Akbar Khan would lead a delegation to the Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting to be held in Accra, Ghana, on December 5-6.

 

Responding to a question, she said Pakistan was strongly committed to the protection of workers, including Chinese nationals, working on the projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

 

As regards the humanitarian assistance dispatched by Pakistan for the Palestinians, the spokesperson said that Pakistan’s assistance had reached Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

 

Replying to another query, she said, “We are very satisfied with the number of individuals who are leaving for Afghanistan voluntarily and the number of repatriations involving the law enforcement officials is very small compared to the voluntary repatriations taking place.”

 

It was encouraging for Pakistan because it gave a hope that the individuals would apply for visas for Pakistan in future and come here through legal means on Afghan passports, she added.

 

With regards to the Bannu attack and other terrorist acts that have recently taken place in Pakistan, she maintained that there were concerns of “our law enforcement officials that there are links of these attacks with individuals and TTP operatives who currently reside inside the Afghan territory”.

 

“We have expressed our serious concerns and we hope that the Afghan authorities will take immediate action against these individuals and hand them over to Pakistan, “she added.