Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman has rejected the impression that the episode regarding arrest of Indian spy was deliberately staged on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Pakistan.

In a weekly briefing at Foreign Office on Thursday, spokesman Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan has received a request from India for consular access to Kulbhushan Yadev, and it is still under consideration. He said Yadev is still being investigated and added that the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are capable of giving a befitting response to all those who are conducing hostile activities against Pakistan. He said Pakistan has taken up with five permanent members of UNSC and EU the issue of Yadev’s confessional statement which shows that India’s RAW is involved in spying activities in Pakistan.

Before the Yadev statement, Pakistan had submitted dossiers to important capitals of the world and UN, he said, adding that sharing information with UN and other forums and different countries is the diplomatic norm. Speaking on Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed on the Pathankot incident, he said its investigation is under way. Pakistan and India don’t have any option other than restoring the process of dialogue. Regarding the implications of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Zakaria said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have brotherly relations with each other and will not be impacted by any other country’s bilateral relations.

On Pakistan’s High Commission in India alleged neglect of fishermen’s issue, he said this impression is not right as the commission in Delhi taken up the issue of fishermen and other citizens with India. He said Pakistan also has a judicial mechanism for providing legal help to Pakistani prisoners in the neighbouring country. He said Pakistan had on humanitarian grounds released Indian fishermen and hoped for the same response from India too. On US President Barack Obama’s calls for Indo-Pak for dialogue, Zakaria said Pakistan believes in peace and dialogue and not believes in an arms race in the region.

He said on the other hand India is enhancing its defence spending in conventional and non-conventional weapons. He said the Interior Ministry had written a letter to the Iranian authorities on Yadev issue. Pakistan and Iran have special mechanism on border security at the interior secretary level. He rejected the impression that the Yadev episode was staged deliberately. He said the Iranian president during his visit had said that Iran’s security means Pakistan’s security and Pakistan’s security means Iran’s security and that the visit was not jeopardised. On the timing of Yadev’s arrest, he said it was not designed.

On the arrest of an Afghan agent from Pakistan, he said he does not have any information in it. He said Pakistan is trying to bring various factions and groups on the table for talks to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan, as decided in the fourth QCG talks in Kabul. He said for the next QCG meeting all member countries will decides with consultation. On Afghan president’s statement against Pakistan’s involvement in Afghanistan, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan has always tried for positive engagement of different groups in Pakistan.

“Pakistan believes in political and viable settlement. Blaming will not be beneficial, rather it will serve the interests of those who are against peace and stability in Afghanistan.”