No one be targeted for religion, FO reacts to IS threat

ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistani community in France is safe and no reports have been received so far regarding any problem being faced by it due to the Paris terror attacks, Pakistan says it recognises that these attacks prove that Daesh or so-called Islamic State (IS) is a global threat but no one should be targeted on the basis of religion.
“We have also said on a number of occasions that Pakistan was cognizant of the threat posed by Daesh.
However, our security agencies are alert to this threat. There is no footprint of Daesh in Pakistan.
We will also not tolerate anyone affiliated with it. Our armed forces and security agencies have emphatically said that even the shadow of Daesh will not be tolerated in Pakistan,” the spokesman at the Foreign Office said at the weekly media briefing.
Pakistan says that it supports a “coordinated approach” against the terrorists by the international community as it was committed to eliminating terrorism from the soil of Pakistan.
“We have been cooperating with the international community in combating terrorism and our cooperation is recognised as well as appreciated by the international community,” he said.
To a question on threats arising from Islamophobia, the spokesman emphasised that terrorism could not be associated with any religion.
“Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. Terrorists have no religion. We have always condemned Islamophobia.
The focus of international community should remain on eliminating terrorists. No one should be targeted on the basis of religion,” the spokesman added.
Pakistan still maintains that the resolution of Syria demands an inclusive dialogue as the continuing bloodshed is of great concern.
Replying to questions on reports by NYT regarding Pakistan’s nuclear policy, the spokesman said that it had always expressed concerns on discriminatory approach to nuclear issues, including peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in South Asia due to its impact on the strategic stability.
“Special waiver for India for nuclear trade is the major destabilising step. We have been conveying our concerns in this regard to the international community,” he added. The report itself said the spokesman held an utterly mistaken and prejudiced view.
“The editorial missed facts in plain sight that Pakistan was not the first to introduce nuclear weapons in South Asia.
Recent public reports confirm that India continues to rapidly expand its nuclear weapons programme by testing missiles with longer ranges, constructing new fissile material production facilities and developing a nuclear triad which inevitably requires a larger nuclear arsenal,” he said.
Instead, he pointed to the special waiver for India for nuclear trade which is the major destabilising step. “India also propounds war-fighting doctrines while leading as the world’s largest importer of military hardware.
On its part, for decades Pakistan has offered proposals to India for strategic stability including a ‘Strategic Restraint Regime’ (SRR) which envisaged conflict resolution, nuclear and missile restraint and conventional balance,” he said.
Commenting on the latest Human Rights Watch report which points to Afghans inside Pakistan receiving a rough deal, the spokesman said that repatriation of Afghan refugees was taking place on a voluntary basis in collaboration with the UNHCR.
“Pakistan is committed to respecting human rights of all and has been actively participating in multilateral forums dealing with human rights,” he added.
Pakistan, while committing to fully implement all its national and international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), on Thursday inaugurated the Regional CWC Assistance and Protection Centre (CWCAPC).
The Regional Center is an important contribution of Pakistan towards effective implementation of the Chemicals Weapons Convention (CWC). The center will offer capacity building courses to CWC State Parties from South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, and will also help in the exchange of best practices amongst these states.
Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Uzumcu, who is on an official visit expressed his gratitude to Pakistan for its continued support for the work of the OPCW. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, was also present.