Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria has rubbished fears that Pakistan had become isolated in the international community, by saying that the perception needed to be corrected as Pakistan was very much engaged in world affairs.

He expressed these views while responding to a question during weekly media briefings on Friday at the Foreign Office. The spokesman said that a number of high-level and multinational activities with other countries were in progress, saying the leadership was well-received during bilateral visits.

On a media report recently published in a daily, Zakaria said that the story was based on assumptions, something the reporter seemed to admit in the story. He said that all national institutes were on the same page when it came to eliminating terrorism. Even Pakistani society had a consensus on taking indiscriminate action against terrorists and maintaining zero tolerance. He said that Pakistan was not being isolated internationally, and it was all propaganda.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and interference in internal affairs of neighbours are indicative of Indian nervousness. He said that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence was in reaction to India’s hawkishness, and merely an effort to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Aggressive Indian policies and massive arms build-up were destabilising factors, and Pakistan’s policies were geared towards global peace and security.

He said that India was nervous because of the “diplomatic offensive” by Pakistan to expose New Delhi over the situation in India-held Kashmir. The visits of the prime minister’s special envoys across the world to highlight human rights violations in held Kashmir had been successful. The FO spokesman said PM envoys Mushahid Hussain and Dr Shezra Mansab had met with the United Nations General Assembly president and a dossier had been submitted of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

He said that Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue was supported by Turkey, while a dossier had also been given the British government by Pakistan’s High Commissioner. The spokesman said that Indian atrocities in held Kashmir continue. Security forces have been using pellet guns and the “Kashmiri people have been barred from offering Jumma prayers for 17 consecutive weeks,” he said.

He called on the international community to take notice of the human rights violations. He added the Pakistani media had also been highlighting the issue of Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. On hopes from newly appointment UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Spokesman said that Kashmir issue had been on the UN Security Council agenda for seven decades, and India have themselves taken this issue to UN.

“Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris diplomatically, politically and morally and continue to highlight Indian brutalities. We hope UN and the international community responds positively,” Zakaria said. Zakaria said that Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was bringing paid demonstrators to an anti-Pakistan protest in Geneva also praised the role being played by Pakistani media.

“Pakistani media have exposed the fabricated propaganda of the Indian media,” Zakaria said. He added that Indian leaders have on record accepted spreading terrorism in Pakistan. Zakaria said that former Defense Secretary US Chuck Hagel in a statement said that India is using Afghanistan’s soil to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.