Pakistan blames India for wave of terrorist incidents ahead of polls

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has outrightly blamed India for carrying out wave of terrorist attacks in the country in the build-up to next week’s general elections.

Addressing her weekly news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Indian external affairs ministry has not denied the veracity of our credible evidence regarding New Delhi’s involvement in extraterritorial and extrajudicial killings in Pakistan.

Mumtaz Baloch said Pakistan has also shared the evidence of India’s involvement in terror acts with friendly countries and other relevant countries especially the ones with which Islamabad needs further cooperation in holding to account the individuals behind the terror acts.

The spokesperson India’s charges of terrorism against Pakistan are neither new nor credible, describing them as ridiculous. She pointed out that India has been involved in terror incidents and extra territorial and extra judicial killings in countries around the world.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also voiced serious concerns over the attacks on Muslim places of worship in India. She said there is a concerted campaign to demolish mosques in India and replace them with temples. These acts, she said, will remain a blot on the face of Indian democracy for the times to come.

The spokesperson said Pakistan will observe Kashmir Solidarity Day on Monday next. She said an elaborate program has been outlined to mark the day.

She said Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people for the just and peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan has been raising concerns over the terror threat emanating from Afghanistan. She urged the Afghan authorities to take immediate and effective action against the terror entities and handover their leadership to Pakistan.

When asked about the killing of nine Pakistani workers in Iran, the spokesperson said this was an inhumane act which has been condemned both by Pakistan and Iran. She said Pakistan expects the Iranian authorities to share details of the attack as soon as the investigation into the incident is completed.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch called for full implementation of International Court of Justice’s judgment to uphold human rights, dignity and identity of Palestinian people as per the UN charter and international laws. She said the UN Security Council should play its mandated role to impose a ceasefire and protect the people of Gaza from ongoing atrocities.