ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has sought help of the United States to contain Indian’s Research and Analysis Wing’s terror activities in the country, officials said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was expected to take up the RAW activities with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Washington on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit but he cancelled the visit following the Easter Day Lahore carnage.
Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs, will now represent Pakistan at the summit and will convey Pakistan’s concerns to Washington on the margins. But even before Fatemi’s visit, Pakistan was in contact with the US asking it to play a role to stop India from destabilising its neighbours.
A senior official at the Foreign Ministry told The Nation, Pakistan had asked Washington to use its influence for establishment of peace in South Asia. “We know Narendra Modi will meet (US President) Barrack Obama in Washington. We have appealed to them to take up our case during this meeting too,” added the official. He said since the arrest of RAW agent Kul Boshan Yadav, Pakistan has been in regular contact with the US to put pressure on India.
The official said Pakistan will also engage other influential countries to expose India-sponsored terrorism in the country.
Earlier, the US said the decision by Prime Minister Sharif to cancel US visit was completely understandable. At a media briefing in Washington, spokesman John Kirby described the Lahore attack as a ‘lash out’ from a group under pressure from the ongoing military operation by the Pakistani security forces.
The spokesman said the US stood with the people of Pakistan and it also remained committed to assist Pakistan going forward.
Officials said Pakistan would submit yet another dossier to the United Nations and important world capitals with regard to the alleged activities of RAW on Pakistan’s soil.
Yesterday, Pakistan launched a crackdown on RAW operatives across the country amid Yadav’s interrogation. Information Minister Pervez Rashid and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa said at a joint news conference that Yadav was tasked to destabilise Pakistan, create unrest, sponsor terrorism and separatism in Balochistan.
A seven-minute video statement of the RAW agent was played before the media representatives in which he admitted being a serving Indian Navy officer working for RAW.
He also confessed to have sponsored many terrorist and subversive activities, links with Baloch separatists and future plans. The RAW agent said he was directly handled by Indian National Security Advisor, RAW chief and a Joint Secretary of RAW.
Also yesterday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri said Yadav’s arrest had lead to arrest of 15 more agents in the province.
Zehri said India was interfering into Pakistan’s internal affairs by using Afghanistan’s soil. Referring to Yadav, the Chief Minister said it was the very first time when any Indian senior official was arrested in Balochistan. He said the RAW officer revealed he had been giving training to Baloch armed groups in a bid to attack Pakistani ports.
Another official said Pakistan was not ready to let this chance slip as arrest of a RAW officer was a good enough proof for the whole world that India was disturbing peace in Pakistan and sponsoring terrorism. “Yadav’s confessions are ample proof of India’s involvement in destabilising Pakistan. We now have a solid proof and will take it to the world. We will show the world, how India is trying to weaken us,” he added.
Analysts said international community should play its due role and pressurise India to stop its terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
Defence analyst Lt. General (Retd) Talat Masood said after Pathankot incident, India started blaming Pakistan without any concrete proof and evidence. He said the arrest of RAW officer proved beyond doubt the involvement of India in terror-related activities.
Another defence analyst Lt. General (Retd) Amjad Shoaib said the arrest of the RAW agent will lead towards the identification of RAW’s active network in Pakistan. “It will help identify the elements involved in terrorist activities in Balochistan, including the killings of Hazara people,” he added.
International relations expert Dr Pervez Iqbal Cheema said Pakistan has been crying for a long time that India was involved in creating law and order problems in Karachi and Balochistan. “Now evidences are coming our way,” he added.
These analysts believed with Yadav’s arrest Pakistan had a golden chance to expose India at the international level.