Stop baseless allegations against Pakistan, FO tells India

Says dates for foreign secretaries talks not finalised yet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday asked India to stop making baseless allegations in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on an Indian air base in Pathankot.

The Spokesman at the Foreign Office said dates for foreign secretaries talks between Pakistan and India had not been finalised yet. “Both sides are in touch. We will let you know the date of meeting of foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India when it is finalised,” spokesman at the Foreign Office commented.

Speculations had arisen after Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit had hinted that the talks could be held in the first week of February. The spokesman said investigations by agencies to work on the links provided by India on the Pathankot attack were continuing and a special investigative team would be sent to India on the completion of these investigations.

This week had also seen the new Indian high commissioner call on Pakistan’s national security adviser. However, the spokesman cautioned India regarding allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism, including the Indo-French joint statement released during the visit of the French president.

“It is important to do away with the practice of unsubstantiated allegations as it undermines the efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from our region through a cooperative approach. We, therefore, would have expected India-France Joint statement on counter terrorism to acknowledge the fact that Pakistan has rendered enormous sacrifices while combating terrorism to make the world a safer and a better place. Our sacrifices have been appreciated by the international community.”

He pointed out that terrorism was not only India’s problem but also that of Pakistan, the region and the world.Commenting on statements from Washington where it seeks Pakistan to do more, the spokesman said that it was apparent that the international community, including the US, has acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s unflinching commitment to combating terrorism.

“We have suffered enormous human and financial losses in this effort. While our resources are overstretched, we remain determined to root out the menace of terrorism from the soil of Pakistan, as well as from the region through a cooperative approach,” he explained.

The spokesman said Pakistan had repeatedly asked India to share with it the outcome of investigations into the Samjhauta Express terrorist attack.While the Indian media remained silent on its own reports that five bombs were dropped by Indian Air Force planes in a sortie over Rajasthan near the Pakistan-India border, to a question raised in Islamabad the spokesman remarked, “We have seen media reports about the incident and sought more details from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.”