Pulwama attack: Share evidence, Qureshi asks India

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua reached out to the world capitals on Saturday and reiterated that violence was not Pakistan’s policy and India’s war-mongering against Islamabad was a known tactic to divert global attention from gross human rights violations being committed in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).

Pakistan wants peace and it is preposterous to think that it can be isolated, was the message sent from Islamabad.

“Our message is of peace, not war. If you have any actionable evidence, share it with us; we will investigate it with integrity and see what the reality is,” Qureshi told Geo TV in Munich. He was referring to a militant attack in Pulwama district of Indian Held Kashmir on Thursday in which 44 Indian paramilitary soldiers were killed.

“Violence is not a strategy nor is it our government's policy,” Qureshi said.

Qureshi condemned the bombing adding he was “a little sad” that without investigating the incident India had instantly levelled allegations against Pakistan in a “knee-jerk reaction”.

“You can throw the blame at us,” Qureshi said, noting that accusing Pakistan “took one minute”.

Qureshi also noted that the world had condemned the incident, “as they should, as lives had been lost”.

Qureshi added, however, that the voices coming from within India should also be heard, such as that of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, who has said that placing blame on Pakistan was the “easy route” and that Indian authorities should examine their policies in Kashmir.

Pointing out continued human rights atrocities against the Kashmiris, the foreign minister asked which direction Prime Minister Modi will take.

“One is to act like a typical politician and stage his reactions and policy while keeping an eye on the next election. Alternatively, he has the option of being a statesman who thinks about his region, his country's poverty, the betterment of his country, as well as regional betterment.”

Saturday also saw a resolution passed by the All Parties Conference in Delhi in which it condemned terrorism in all forms and the support being given to it from across the border without naming Pakistan.

There was no mention in the Resolution of the coming talks between Islamabad and Delhi on the Kartarpur Corridor to be held in India on March.

At the Ministry on Friday, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, after briefing P5 Ambassadors, shared on Saturday Pakistan's perspective with ambassadors from non-permanent members of the UNSC on what she said were unfounded allegations by the Indian government following the Pulwama attacks.

“The Indian claims based on contradictory and unverified social media content have no grounds. These are known tactics of India to divert global attention from gross human rights violations in the Indian Held Kashmir and it is important that the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir are implemented”, Foreign Office spokesman quoted her in a series of Tweets.

In another meeting with ambassadors from the European Union, she underscored Pakistan's position on the Pulwama attack and categorically rejected the Indian government's remarks of Pakistan's involvement in the attack.

She further raised the issue of gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in the IHK.

“In Indian Held Kashmir years of unabated human rights violations have alienated Kashmiris” she said.

Later as reports came about attacks on Kashmiri students, the Foreign Office condemned these accusing Delhi of staying complicit and inactive.

Meanwhile, media reports quoted the US State Department spokesperson as saying that Pakistan had outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2002, but the group still operated there.

It asked Pakistan to freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets of the UNSC-designated terrorist networks and their leaders.

“We expect Pakistan to uphold its responsibilities pursuant to UN Security Council resolutions to deny safe haven and support for terrorists and to freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of individuals and entities on the UNSC 1267 sanctions list,” the spokesperson said.