ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said that Islamabad welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate between Pakistan and India.

“There is a growing realisation and concern among the regional countries and the United Nations…on the threat to peace in the region due to Indian unprovoked hostility along the Line of Control and Working Boundary,” FO spokesman Nafees Zakaria told a weekly briefing.

“Pakistan welcomes UN Security Council permanent member Russia’s attention and intention to play a role in this longstanding issue on the UNSC agenda,” he said.

President Putin, reportedly during a meeting held recently with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Astana in Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, had offered to help Pakistan and India in resolving their disputes.

Quadrilateral Coordination Group’s revival depends on assent of China and US, says FO

Citing Kashmiris, Mr Zakaria said that there was growing concern in the valley that India could stage a false flag operation to discredit the uprising.

“Kashmiris are concerned that India will undertake a false flag operation or stage a terrorist event to carry out a heavy military action to justify killing of innocent Kashmiris,” he said and referred to statements by Indian army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia in this regard. He said the statements expressed the Indian intentions. “It is a recorded fact that Indian agencies in collaboration with terrorist organisations such as RSS and Abhinav Bharat have staged terrorist attacks and blamed them on others to use (them) as an excuse to justify use of brute force against innocent people.”

Terrorist acts also heighten tensions between Pakistan and India, he added.

Afghan conflict

About Afghanistan, the FO said that revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on the war-ravaged country was contingent on China and the United States agreeing to it.

“Prime Minister Sharif and (Afghan) President Ashraf Ghani reiterated their willingness to advance the peace process through QCG provided other member states agree to this proposal,” the spokesman said.

Mr Sharif and Mr Ghani had during a meeting at Astana agreed to activate the QCG to undertake “specific actions against terror groups” and set up a verification mechanism for monitoring the execution of those actions. It was agreed that the QCG, when revitalised, would push for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Besides Pakistan and Afghanistan, the QGC includes China and the US. It has been inactive for a little over a year. The group, formed in January 2017, worked for a few months till the killing of Afghan Taliban chief Akhtar Mansour in a drone attack in Balochistan last year.

The revival of the QCG has been agreed to by Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of an effort to repair their fractured bilateral ties.

Separately, Afghan media has reported that the Chinese government planned to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would soon visit Kabul to discuss the initiative and scheduling of a QCG meeting.

Mr Zakaria, however, stayed short of confirming the Chinese plan.

“China is an important partner in efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. Both China and Pakistan are working closely. We are also in contact with the Afghan leadership in this regard…and have realised that we need to work together to tackle common challenges that are impeding efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said while emphasising a bilateral approach.

In reply to a question about the kidnapping and reported killing of a Chinese man and woman in Balochistan, the FO spokesman said that Pakistan and China were working together on the issue.

He said the government was taking the matter with “utmost gravity and seriousness” and law enforcement agencies were making efforts to track and apprehend the culprits.

The militant Islamic State group last week claimed that the Chinese duo it had been holding had been executed in Mastung. The FO had later said that the claim was being investigated.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2017