ISLAMABAD: Maintenance of peace and stability in South Asia is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s policy as we are opposed to nuclear or conventional arms race in the region, Foreign Office spokesperson Thursday said.
Pakistan’s nuclear capability is solely for self-defense and we are committed to credible minimum deterrence, Nafees Zakaria during the weekly briefing at the foreign office said.
Responding to a query he said India’s massive arms-buying spree and the consequent conventional asymmetry continue to be a threat to regional peace and stability. Pakistan does not want to indulge in any arms race and remains committed to pursuing arms control and restraint measures. We believe that the region’s scarce resources should be devoted to the socioeconomic uplift of its people, he remarked.
To a question about the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed contrary to Indian involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan, he said there is irrefutable evidence of Indian state actors involvement in perpetrating terrorist activities and terror financing in Pakistan. Indian state institutions have carried out terrorist attacks on Indian soil and blamed it on others. Confessions of Kulbhushan Yadav and leader of terrorist organization RSS, Swami Aseemanand, revelations made in Maharashtra’s Inspector General of Police, S.M. Mushrif’s book entitled ‘Who Killed Karkare’, British Authors Kathy Scott and Adrian Levy’s narration in their book ‘The Meadows’, and US Secretary of Defence, Chuck Hagel’s statement are testimonies of Indian state institutions deep involvement in carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan. He said India should take corrective actions for itself rather than commenting on other countries affairs.
Replying to another question he said Pakistan has taken all actions against the proscribed elements that are required under the UN sanctions.
Pakistan’s action against terrorist elements without discrimination in the larger national interest as well as our sacrifices and losses have been repeatedly acknowledged and appreciated by all the countries.
Our commitment to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from its roots is beyond doubt, he said
To a question on the role of OIC, Nafees Zakaria said the OIC countries not only condemned India for the atrocities committed by the occupation forces but also called for an independent inquiry into the grave human rights violations in IoK.
He said the OIC being the biggest representative organization of the Muslim Ummah, is playing a very important role for safeguarding the interests of the Ummah worldwide.
Particularly in the context of Kashmir, “I would invite your attention to the declaration of 13th OIC Summit in Istanbul in April last year, which carried a strong reference on Kashmir.”
He said the OIC declaration also rejected Indian propaganda of projecting indigenous movement of self-determination in IoK as an act of terrorism. There is a special OIC Contact Group on Kashmir, which during the last year’s OIC Summit in Istanbul also made a strong reference to resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In its ministerial conference last year in Tashkent at the 43rd session of ICFM, he said, the OIC took an even stronger stance on the issue of Kashmir and urged India to immediately bring to halt its bloodshed and genocide in the IoK. In this regard the OIC is playing a key role in raising awareness about key issues facing the Muslim Ummah. All member states of the OIC are making genuine efforts towards this end, he said. Pakistan believes in the unity and solidarity of Muslim Ummah, he added.
To a question about the role of Hussain Haqqani, he said it was highly regrettable and deplorable that a person who was honoured to represent Pakistan has been indulging in activities that would hurt Pakistan’s national interests.
Zakaria said unfortunately, he is doing all this at a time when the world is increasingly acknowledging Pakistan’s growing economic potential in the wake of tremendous improvement in the security situation, investor friendly policies and strengthening of democratic institutions.
The more Haqqani does such malicious and unethical acts, more he exposes his character. He has not only lost respect among Pakistanis but also among those who attach importance to values. APP