ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said that Brahamdagh Bugti's request for asylum in India was indicative of Indian involvement in terrorism in Balochistan.

The spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Nafees Zakaria, claimed there is concrete evidence of Indian-sponsored terrorism and terror financing in Pakistan especially in Balochistan and Karachi which was substantiated by the confession of arrested Research and Analysis Wing agent Kulbhushan Jadhav in Balochistan.

He also termed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on India’s Independence Day as "open interference in Pakistan’s internal issues".

Know more: Switzerland rejects Brahamdagh request for political asylum

'Pakistan ready for unconditional talks'

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan was ready for unconditional talks with India to resolve various issues, including the core issue of Kashmir.

“Pakistan wants to resolve the issues diplomatically and was ready for talks with India but such talks between the two countries should be unconditional,” said Aziz.

Aziz, however, said talks between the two countries could not succeed till the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif forcefully raised the Kashmir issue and the brutalities of the Indian occupied forces in Indian-held Kashmir at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He added the international community accepted that Kashmir was a disputed issue and the premier’s address in the UN will highlight the issue.

Also read: United States to urge India for holding talks with Pakistan over Kashmir issue

Aziz said the prime minister met eight heads of state and three members of the UN Security Council and apprised them of the current situation in Indian-held Kashmir and the atrocities of the Indian forces on innocent Kashmiris.

“World leaders have expressed sorrow over the use of force in Kashmir and the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India.”

The premier’s adviser also added that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had also expressed concern over human rights violations in India-held Kashmir.

“International pressure is now mounting on India,” said Aziz.

The adviser also referred to India’s involvement in Balochistan.

“Indian state actors are involved in interfering in Balochistan.”

About aggressive Indian policy, he said Pakistan had the ability to thwart any kind of aggression from India and our armed forces were fully capable for security of the motherland.

Foreign Office rejects Indian allegations

The Foreign Office also refuted Indian allegations of Pakistani involvement in the Uri army base attack, terming them part of India's attempts to divert the international community's attention away from its actions in India-held Kashmir (IHK).

Nafees Zakaria said the Indian allegations were baseless and carried no weight. He called on the Indian government to produce substantial evidence in support of its claims.

He said that it had become a habit of India's to point accusatory fingers towards Pakistan after every such incident in India, and added that Pakistan had nothing to gain from such incidents

The scenario in the region has changed after India's irresponsible statements, he added.

He said the prime minister had presented the Kashmir issue before the international community in a comprehensive manner at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and urged the UN to send a fact-finding mission to IHK.

The FO spokesperson added that Indian media had created unnecessary hype after the Uri attack.

Zakaria added that both the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chiefs had condemned Indian atrocities in IHK and demanded investigation into extra-judicial killings in the valley.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...