PM to take up RAW’s involvement issue at UNGA

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the National Assembly on Friday that the government was considering to raise the issue of Indian agency RAW’s involvement in Pakistan, especially in the province of Balochistan and Fata, with the United Nations and other international forums.
He said the prime minister will also raise this issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).Sartaj Aziz informed the House during the Question-Hour that Islamabad had taken up the issue of RAW’s activities in Pakistan with various foreign leaders, and had utilised the media to expose the Indian involvement in terrorist activities in the country.
He said that during the foreign secretary-level talks held in March this year, Pakistan’s foreign secretary had raised the issue with his Indian counterpart. Replying to a supplementary question, he said the government had already condemned the recent terrorism incident that took place in Gurdaspur, India, and rejected the Indian allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in it.
He said it had also been made clear that Pakistan had the capability to give a befitting reply in case of any threat from the Indian side.In a written reply to another question, Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan remains committed to a just and peaceful settlement of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s principled position on the Kashmir dispute is based on historical facts and in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, which provide for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir, to be determined via a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations, he said.
He told the House that Pakistan supports an engagement with India in a constructive and purposeful dialogue to resolve the issue.However, he said, Pakistan also considers Kashmiris as important stakeholders. “We firmly believe that for a durable solution to the Kashmir dispute, Kashmiris should be associated with the dialogue process,” he said.
The Kashmir dispute has been an important segment of our dialogue process with India, which is on hold since January 2013 at India’s behest.He said that other than the UN and OIC, the European Union and European Parliament are also engaged on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
He pointed out that Pakistan not only emphasises the need for resolving the Kashmir issue at the UN in New York, but also highlights the human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.On 18 November 2014, a Pakistan-sponsored resolution on ‘the Right to Self-determination’ was unanimously adopted by the UNGA.
“Every opportunity is used by the government to flag the issue of Kashmir dispute and blatant human rights violations by the Indian security forces with the international community at various forums,” he maintained.
To another question, he said Pakistan would continue to actively plead its case for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at every available forum, high-level meetings, bilateral consultations and in the sideline meetings at the international conferences.
He informed the House that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all its diplomatic missions accredited to 48 NSG members have continued to actively lobby with NSG member states and brief them on Pakistan’s strong credentials for the NSG membership.
“We highlight that NSG should follow an objective, equitable and non-discriminatory approach while taking a decision to admit new members,” he said.