ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the terrorist incident on the Indian territory involving the Samjhota Express but declared that Islamabad remained committed to the ongoing peace process with New Delhi.
“This is a terrorist act in which a large number of innocent Pakistanis have been killed but we believe that the peace process should not be impeded or disrupted because of such terrorist incidents,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told journalists at a weekly news briefing.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position she said: “Terrorist incidents in either country should not derail the peace process. This is our conviction.”
Reading out from a written statement, she said: “Pakistan expects the Indian government to conduct thorough investigations into the terrorist attack, share the results of these investigations with Pakistan and punish those responsible for this heinous crime in which a large number of Pakistanis have been killed.
“It is our expectation that measures shall be taken by the Indian authorities to ensure security of the train inside their territory.”
The spokesperson said the federal government had instructed the relevant departments and the Punjab government to facilitate the travel of family members of the Pakistani passengers to Panipat. Special buses were being arranged to take the relatives, wishing to travel to Panipat and to Wagah border, she said.
Ms Aslam said Pakistan was awaiting permission from the Indian side to dispatch a C-130 aircraft with medicines and medical staff to bring back the injured.
In reply to a question she said the train compartments were sealed which prevented the passengers from escaping the blaze.
She said Pakistan would ensure more security of the Samjhota Express on its side and it expected India to do the same at its end.
AFGHAN PROTEST: About Afghan government’s protest over the North West Frontier Province governor’s reported remarks about the Taliban militants inside Afghanistan, Ms Aslam said: “The statement issued by Afghanistan is based on distorted report of what the North West Frontier Province governor had said to a delegation of foreign journalists who had recently visited Peshawar and North Waziristan.”
Underscoring that the phenomenon of Talibanisation was a common threat to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the spokesperson noted: “We are taking all measures in our own interest to counter the threat of Talibanisation and extremism. Pakistan is also firmly committed not to allow its territory to be used for militancy and violence against Afghanistan.”
RICE’S STATEMENT: On the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s statement that the North Waziristan peace deal had not produced any results, Ms Aslam said: “We continue to keep the implementation of North Waziristan Agreement under review and would plug in any shortcomings or take firm action needed to ensure compliance.”
In this context she also recalled the president’s recent statement that the North Waziristan deal was worth pursuing even if it was not working 100 per cent.
IRAN: The spokesperson clarified that Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran was not summoned by the Iranian foreign ministry.
She claimed there was a meeting between Iranian foreign ministry officials and the Pakistani ambassador in Tehran to review the situation in border areas of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
She said the Pakistani ambassador had a meeting with ambassador Rasul Islami, Head of the Asia Desk at the Iranian Foreign Ministry on February 18 at which bomb blasts in Zahidan were discussed, which Pakistan condemned, and the two sides also discussed the cooperation between the two countries on counter-terrorism efforts.
“The Iranian side shared preliminary information about the bomb blasts, and discussed security cooperation with Pakistan to check criminals and terrorists operating in the border areas,” the spokesperson said.
Noting that Pakistan was aware of the nefarious activities of terrorists, criminals, drug paddlers and smugglers in the area where Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan borders meet, she added: “We will continue to fully cooperate with Iranian authorities to curb such elements.”
