Kulbhushan will not be pardoned, handed back to India: FO

ISLAMABAD: General (R) Asad Durrani got his first shut-up call from the government on Friday when the Foreign Office trashed his assessment that Indian spy Kulbhushan Jhadav, presently on death row and in Army custody, will be pardoned and handed back to India.

“This will never happen”, said the Foreign Office spokesman during the weekly media briefing here.

In response to the book ‘The Spy Chronicles’ penned by Gen Durrani, former DG ISI and MI, and his Indian counterpart AS Daulat, a former RAW chief, the spokesman chose extreme caution and did not reply to further queries.

When specifically asked about Durrani’s allegation that former prime minister Gilani was fully onboard regarding the US Navy Seals operation against Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad and that a special deal was struck between the US and Pakistan, he responded, “I have yet to see and read the book, after which I might be able to respond to your queries”.

However, the spokesman pointed out that Pakistan is still ready to enter into deliberations with India and awaiting a response.

“Pakistan has already extended a friendly hand towards India. It is now India’s turn to be forthcoming. We expect our friendly our friendly gestures to be reciprocated,” he said.

Pakistan is also pursuing the matter of release of 54 Pakistani prisoners from Indian jails, who remain incarcerated despite completing their sentence.

“We also await New Delhi’s response to Pakistan’s humanitarian proposal for exchange of prisoners above 60 years and children below the age of 18, shared with the Indian side on 7 March 2018.”, he added.

On its part, Pakistan has made positive gestures on the humanitarian track vis-a-vis India, as reflected in the release of civilian prisoners and fishermen.

“Pakistan’s positive response and addition of further humanitarian proposals to the Indian gesture, for exchange of prisoners, our facilitation of visits of pilgrims to religious shrines, despite India’s denial of visas for Pakistani zaireen, Pakistan’s good-faith humanitarian gesture of allowing Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav’s family to visit him etc. are cases in point.

We expect our friendly gestures to be reciprocated”, he said.

To a query regarding Washington’s complaints that its diplomats were facing problems in Pakistan, the spokesman responded: “Foreign Office has not received any specific complaints from the US side after establishment of the mechanism to resolve the issue, on treatment of the US diplomats in Pakistan. Diplomats hailing from all countries enjoy diplomatic privileges alike and are provided every possible support as per international laws and norms as well as reciprocity”.

He pointed out that the US had suspended the security related assistance to Pakistan earlier this year, including the CSF (coalition support fund) reimbursements.

“We believe, and the fact has been frequently acknowledged by the US officials also, that the security related assistance served the mutual interest of stability in the region. Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations in FATA and clearing of this territory from all sorts of terrorist networks is a testimony that the US assistance for capacity building of Pakistan’s law enforcement and security agencies has helped in achieving the shared objective of stability and peace in the region”, he explained.

The US assistance on the civilian economic side continues with both sides engaged in undertaking collaborative projects and programs.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will lead Pakistan’s delegation in the SCO Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan, the trilateral Strategic Dialogue and the Trilateral Practical Cooperation Delegation in Beijing next week.

In this regard the spokesman pointed to the SCO-RATS meeting in Islamabad which looked for ways and means to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation between SCO member states.

“Pakistan supports SCO's efforts for regional cooperation in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime and is ready to share our experience in tackling the menace of terrorism through the SCO-RATS”, said the spokesman.

The decisions of the Council of SCO-RATS are prepared and vetted by the Legal Experts Working Group, which meets three times before every Council meeting. These expert level meetings are held in all members of the SCO on voluntary or rotational basis.

The meeting of the legal experts in Islamabad deliberated upon the agenda of the 33rd Session of the Council of SCO-RATS, which will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in October 2018. Member states discussed various proposals for enhancing regional cooperation in countering terrorism and extremism. The legal experts also discussed administrative and organizational matters.

Regarding Pakistan’s plea to the World Bank regarding India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, the spokesman said that Ms. Georgieva of the World Bank assured the Attorney General and the Government of Pakistan that the Bank would make utmost efforts to resolve the KHEP and RHEP, within the parameters of the Indus Waters Treaty.

“Pakistan is gravely concerned at the inauguration of the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project (KHEP). Pakistan believes that the inauguration of the project without the resolution of the dispute is a violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)”, said the spokesman.

Despite several rounds of bilateral negotiations as well as mediation under the auspices of the World Bank, India continued with the construction of the project. This intransigence by India has made the Treaty dysfunctional. Pakistan urged the Bank to raise this violation of the IWT with India and bring an end to the impasse. Pakistan reiterated that as the custodian of the Treaty, the World Bank should urge India to address Pakistan's reservations on Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project (KHEP).