ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said India had a track record of impeding the process of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), terming such approach as against the interests of region’s prosperity and development.
“Most of the times, it is India that has postponed the SAARC meetings in the past and created hurdles in its smooth functioning,” the Foreign Office spokesman said at a weekly press briefing, in response to India’s decision not to attend the SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November.
Spokesman Nafees Zakaria when asked whether Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh followed India’s suit in staying away from the SAARC summit, said “all SAARC countries had in fact previously agreed for the venue during last summit”.
The spokesman rebuffed India’s claim that it would isolate Pakistan, saying mere statements of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot isolate Pakistan in the comity of nations.
He mentioned in this regard Pakistan’s engagements on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly, China’s massive investment in Pakistan, joint military exercises with Russia, visit of Iranian naval ship and signing of mega projects with Central Asian states.
“All these happenings make India’s claims a laughing stock,” he said.
Whether Pakistan would look towards other regional bodies after SAARC, he said Pakistan was already members of several regional bodies including Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), and would remain active at these forums.
On situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Zakaria said the toll of innocent Kashmiris martyred by Indian security forces had reached 100 in 83 days, with more than 12,000 injured among whom 800 received eye injuries.
“India has unleashed a rain of terror in the Occupied Kashmir,” he said.
He said Pakistan would continue to highlight Indian atrocities at United Nations, Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other international organizations.
On reports of revocation of Indus Water Treaty by India, the Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan had not received any official note from India in this regard.
He said the Treaty was not time-barred and it’s sub-provisions 3 and 4 of Article 12 says that it could not be revoke unilaterally.
“Revoking would undermine India’s international standing and Pakistan would respond accordingly,” he said.
To a question on sharing details of the “evidences” on Uri incident given by India to Pakistan’s High Commissioner, the spokesman said distinction should be drawn between “evidence and information”.
“It was just a piece of paper handed over to the High Commissioner. We would look into it,” he said.
He referred to the Samjhota Express incident where Indian claims were later proved as a set of lies.
On claiming Kashmir as integral part of India by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her speech at the United Nations, the spokesman said the statement was the “denial of United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolution”.
The statement was against the sanctity of UNSC resolution given at the very forum of United Nations, he said.
