ISLAMABAD   -  Foreign Office said Thursday that visit of selected diplomats arranged by New Delhi to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was nothing more than a smokescreen.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said as part of its propaganda, India had taken another group of New Delhi based diplomats on a ‘guided tour’ to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“The fact that the people of IIOJK greeted the envoys with spontaneous and voluntary strike has evidently expressed the true feelings of the Kashmiri people against the illegal Indian occupation,” he said.

The spokesperson said that the choreographers of last such visit to IIOJK had come under sharp international criticism for presenting retired soldiers as apple growers to the visiting envoys.

“We believe that such guided tours are a smokescreen, aimed at diverting international attention from India’s egregious human rights violations in IIOJK and creating a false impression of normalcy. The visit means nothing in the absence of access to all the areas and free interaction with the Kashmiri people and the civil society in an atmosphere free of intimidation,” he added.

He said amidst unprecedented military siege since August 5, 2019, India continues to mislead the world community. “Equally, meeting the senior Hurriyat leadership including those incarcerated on trumped-up charges would have enabled an objective assessment of the ground realities,” he added.

India, the spokesperson said, must allow the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Observers, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, the international human rights and civil society organizations; and the international media to visit IIOJK and assess the situation on ground.

In its 2020 report on Muslim communities in non-OIC countries, the OIC General Secretariat has raised serious concerns on the treatment of Muslim population in India and IIOJK, he recalled.

The report, he said, covers the anti-Muslim actions of the BJP-RSS regime: including the aftermath of India’s illegal actions of August 5, 2019 in IIOJK, the discriminatory citizenship laws and Delhi pogrom; and rise of cow vigilantism and anti-Muslim campaigns of the extremist Hindu groups.

“The findings of the report are another reminder of the need for the world community to hold India accountable for continuing failure to meet its human rights obligations,” Chaudhri said.

To a question on restrictions on Sikh Yatris (pilgrims) by India, he said Pakistan “provides maximum facilitation to the Sikh Yatris from all over the world, including India, for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan.|

In its historic Kartarpur Corridor initiative, he said, Pakistan had opened the largest and the holiest Sikh shrine in Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate Sikh Yatris.

“The Sikh as well as the international community, including the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who while visiting Kartarpur described it as “Corridor of Hope,” have immensely appreciated this landmark initiative of Pakistan. The Sikh community remains particularly appreciative of the efforts made by Pakistan to complete the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Project in record time and for the excellent arrangements made to facilitate the pilgrims, the spokesperson said.

“We believe that India should also facilitate Sikh Yatris for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan. India should give rights to the minorities,” he added.

Chaudhri said as part of Pakistan’s regular diplomatic outreach to keep the international community fully apprised of the developments relating to IIOJK and the region, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood briefed the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Islamabad.

Chaudhri said Pakistan remained committed to strengthening bilateral relations with Afghanistan and facilitating an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement of the Afghan conflict through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Pakistan, he said, appreciated the progress made in the peace process during the last one year, particularly the developments, including signing of the US-Taliban Agreement, start of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations and agreement on the rules and procedures.

“We believe that the Intra-Afghan Negotiations have now advanced into an important phase where all the negotiating sides are required to show continued commitment and responsibility for moving forward towards reaching a comprehensive political settlement. It is important for Afghan to seize this historic opportunity,” he said.

Pakistan reiterates its abiding commitment to a peaceful, stable, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan, he added.

He said AMAN-21 exercise, with the participation of 42 nations, including ships and aircrafts from China, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, US, and UK, AMAN-21 was yet another manifestation of Pakistan’s global engagement and abiding commitment and contribution to the promotion of international peace and security.

Contrary to the Indian propaganda, Pakistan enjoys friendly and cooperative relations with the comity of nations, he added.

To a question, Chaudhri said Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoyed close cooperative relations, which were deep-rooted in history. High-level exchanges from both sides are a hallmark of this friendly relationship.

“The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa had extended an invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Sri Lanka, which was accepted by the later. The visit is likely to take place later this month. Prime Minister Imran Khan will be the first Head of Government to visit Sri Lanka after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed office last year, which is reflective of the importance both countries attach to this important relationship,” he said.

The two sides, he said, were currently working on the elements of the programme of the Prime Minister’s visit, keeping in view the Covid-19 related health safety protocols.

He rejected the perception that India was leading any anti-Covid campaign which was being participated by Pakistan. “The workshop on “Exchange of Good Practices in tackling COVID Pandemic and the Way Forward” was organised for SAARC member countries plus Mauritius and Seychelles in a virtual format,’ he clarified. Chaudhri said in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan`s vision, Pakistan has introduced one of the most liberal visa policies with the facility of e-Visa to further promote trade, tourism and foreign investment.