ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said on Tuesday that India was fanning terrorism in Pakistan.In a statement, Sartaj Aziz said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan for peace in the region was hollow. With no chance on the horizon of Pakistan and India holding bilateral talks in the foreseeable future, both countries have now resorted to the media to ‘talk’ to each other, as they have done many times in the past when relations were at an all-time low. The media war continued on Tuesday when Sartaj Aziz appeared to have the last laugh when he mocked India which had asked Pakistan to create an environment free of violence and said this sounded ‘ironical’.India had asked Pakistan to refer to the “principle” of creating an atmosphere of harmony, free of terror and violence. “Peace is multi-dimensional process. When India keeps violating ceasefire at the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, indulges in worst human rights violations against helpless Kashmiris in Indian occupied Kashmir, and undertakes subversive activities in Pakistan, then asking Pakistan to create an environment free of violence only sounds ironical,” Sartaj Aziz said in a statement. Pakistan of late has also publicly blamed India for carrying out subversive activities in the country and both civilian and military leaders have not minced their words while directly accusing Indian spy agency RAW for attempting to destabilise Pakistan. Of late it has been Aziz who has responded to verbal missiles launched from across the border, this time by India’s Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj who had made Indo-Pak relations conditional and talked about the ‘principal’ of such a relationship. “First, we are ready to resolve each issue through peaceful dialogue. Second, the talks will be between the two countries — us and Pakistan. Neither a third country will mediate nor there will be a third party. Third, an atmosphere of harmony should be created by keeping away terror and violence,” she had demanded. Aziz reiterated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif envisages improved relations with all neighbours including India and the primary objective of this vision is economic development of the region. “It was in this spirit that the prime minister attended the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on May 26, 2014,” the PM’s adviser said.Responding point by point to the issues raised by Sushma Swaraj, Aziz pointed to the recent ‘articulation’ of Indian policy by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, which confirmed Pakistan’s apprehensions regarding Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan. “Pakistan is most affected by terrorism and has sacrificed thousands of lives in its counter-terrorism efforts. Terrorism is thus a common challenge, and fighting this menace requires collective efforts”, he said. Sushma had also appeared annoyed about the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (PCEC) and said that New Delhi had taken this up with Beijing at the highest level.Aziz pointed out the dichotomy in the Indian statements on their pronouncements on the importance of the regional connectivity for development and their negative comments about CPEC. “I am rather surprised by the Indian EAM’s remarks that it (PCEC) is ‘not acceptable’. The mega project is all about regional connectivity and economic development and prosperity of the common people of the entire region. There is dichotomy in the Indian statements,” he added. The adviser added that it should be clear that Pakistan and China enjoy exemplary relations. He said Pakistan maintains a policy of non-interference in other countries’ bilateral relations and expects the same from others to refrain from commenting on Pakistan’s bilateral relations with other countries. “As the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a major cooperation framework between the two countries and is not against any third party,” he added. On Kashmir, Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan’s policy all along has been that all outstanding disputes, particularly the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, should be resolved through dialogue.“Pakistan has conveyed to India that it remains committed to dialogue, provided India is ready. Pakistan believes in a sustained, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue. Pakistan also believes that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are important stakeholders in the final resolution of the Kashmir dispute since they have yet to exercise their right to self-determination as enshrined in numerous UN resolutions,” he pointed out. He also clarified that the Mumbai trial is proceeding in the court of law.“Indian concern over slow progress calls into question their own reluctance to cooperate by not allowing the judicial commission’s visit to India until September 2013. Pakistan has its concerns too,” he argued. He said that information on the trial of Indian military’s active service officers named by the RSS member Swami Aseemanand, who was the mastermind, has not been shared. “Scores of Pakistanis lost lives in the Samjhauta terrorist incident. Samjhauta happened two years earlier than Mumbai attacks. The victims’ families are still waiting for delivery of justice,” the adviser reminded New Delhi.
