ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Thursday feared that governor’s rule in Held Kashmir will multiply Indian brutalities.

Addressing a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said the governor’s rule in Kashmir was one of the ploys adopted by New Delhi from time to time to further ‘suppress’ the will of the Kashmiri people.

He said the imposition of governor’s rule and the bloodshed in Kashmir along with statements emanating from India about the crackdown on Kashmiris indicated an alarming Indian imperviousness to international opinion.

He said such steps were likely to result in enhanced Indian actions and a virtual free hand to Indian security forces against Kashmiris. Faisal said Pakistan strongly condemned killings by Indian forces that were a reflection of intolerance of Indian state apparatus that wants to stifle speech and expression.

Pakistan, he said, called upon India to hold independent, transparent and credible investigation into the brutal assassination of seasoned Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari and bring the perpetrators to justice.

On Chinese Ambassador to India’s statement to facilitate Pak-India talks, he said: “We are awaiting further details on the matter. As you are aware, it is our position that disputes can only be resolved through negotiations.”

Referring to situation in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said Pakistan supported Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process to bring peace in the war-torn country.

Faisal said Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during his visit to Afghanistan earlier this month held talks with President Ashraf Ghani on bilateral issues and matters related to Afghan peacemaking efforts.

The Pakistani delegation, he said, congratulated Afghan leaders on recent initiatives that will ultimately lead towards an enduring peace.

Faisal confirmed the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Chief Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan, adding Pakistan welcomed the elimination of this threat and “we believe in cooperation with others to defeat terrorism.”

He said Pakistan does not distinguish between good and bad Taliban and was equally pursuing all terrorist groups that threaten its security and stability.

To a question, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said Pakistani consul general in the US held a meeting with incarcerated Dr Aafia Siddiqui on May 23 where she complained of the mistreatment by US authorities.

Pakistan has raised this issue with the concerned US quarters. Dr Aafia Siddiqui also handed over a letter to the Consul General to be delivered to her mother.

He condemned the brutal killing of Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari by unknown gunmen outside his office in Srinagar saying it gave a serious blow to international human rights and freedom of expression.

“His assassination, due to his unremitting efforts for the Kashmiri cause will be remembered forever and is a clear manifestation of Indian state terrorism. Shujaat Bukhari’s brutal murder by Indian forces is reflection of the intolerance of Indian state apparatus who wants to stifle freedom of speech and expression. The Indian government remains fearful of international exposition of the brutalisation of Kashmir. India can run, but can it hide? This remains to be seen,” he said.

Faisal said Bukhari’s targeted killing, within hours of his tweet on the UN report on Kashmir, raised serious questions about the motivation behind his murder.

He said Pakistan welcomed the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Report’s recommendation for an independent, international Commission of Inquiry to assess the situation in Kashmir which was consistent with several calls by Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to the same effect, since 2016.

The Report, which is sharply critical of the human rights atrocities being committed with impunity by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir.

To a question, Faisal said Pakistan had nothing to hide in the case of Commander Kulbushan Jadhav and had invited the Indian media to visit Pakistan and participate in a news conference in Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

“India backed out then also. Now again, we are ready for a Commission of Enquiry to visit both Azad Kashmir and occupied Kashmir. India has again backed out. The isolation of India in the international community is complete. The skeletons in Indian closet are growing in numbers and size.  Right wing governments end up paying a high price,” he contended.  Asked about the investigations into Kulbushan Jhadav family’s shoe, he said: “There is no update.”

He said Pakistan released 291 Indians on humanitarian grounds in the last six months as a gesture of goodwill and compassion. Similarly, he said, Jitaendera, an Indian prisoner suffering from a debilitating disease was also released on compassionate grounds.

“India has released 6 Pakistani prisoners, yesterday. However, 52 Pakistani prisoners await repatriation since last year, despite having completed their sentences and completion of all formalities. While our actions are taken in line with Islamic traditions of mercy, however compassion should cut both ways,” he said.

Faisal said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was a bilateral project. “A number of projects have been completed in the Early Harvest phase of CPEC. The next phase is development of Special Economic Zones under the CPEC. Pakistan would welcome all countries to participate and invest in Special Economic Zones.

To a question about sale of six additional attack helicopters by the US to India, he said: “Pakistan has always pursued the objective of creating a peaceful neighbourhood, where all countries can focus on meeting the socio-economic needs of their people, rather than squandering their resources on a futile arms race and acquiring destabilizing weapon systems and technologies. We have been a strong proponent of mutually agreed measures for restraint and confidence building. We also urge the international community, particularly the major powers to introspect the negative implications of their policies for our region’s short and long term peace and stability.”

The spokesperson also condoled deaths of Ambassador Jamshed Marker and writer Mushtaq Ahmad Yousufi.

 

 

Governor’s rule in IHK to multiply Indian brutalities: FO