ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: The government has asked the Italian government to provide consular access to the 28 Pakistanis arrested in Naples on the charge of possessing sensitive maps and explosives.

Foreign office spokesman Mr Aziz Ahmed Khan told reporters on Friday evening that according to the information received from the Pakistan embassy in Italy the charges appeared to be false.

“Our information is that the allegations are baseless,” the spokesman said when his comments were sought on the arrest of the Pakistani nationals.

When asked what was the basis of this belief, he said reports from Pakistanis based in Italy indicated that the charges were wrong.

Mr Khan said of the 28 Pakistanis arrested, four had work permits and the remaining 24 had applied for permits.

Last year in October the Italian police in Sicily arrested 15 Pakistani nationals on similar charges.

Even then the government had requested the Italian authorities to provide consular access. However, the access to the embassy staff was not given. Also, the charges against those Pakistanis have yet to be proved.

“The circumstances suggest that the allegations being levelled against them are baseless,” the spokesman said.

ENVOY: Meanwhile, Pakistan Ambassador to Italy, Mr Zafar A. Hilali in an interview to PTV by telephone said that no Pakistani was arrested in Italy for possessing explosives as reported by a foreign news agency, adds APP.