Pakistan on Thursday cautioned India that any misadventure will get a befitting response, saying that New Delhi's confrontational attitude is a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. "Pakistan is fully capable of giving a befitting response to any misadventure," Foreign Office spokesperson, Dr Mohammad Faisal said during his weekly media briefing while commenting on the Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's recent threatening statement that "his force is ready to call Pakistan's nuclear bluff and cross the border for operations if ordered to do so by the government."
He termed the statement irresponsible and provocative, saying that such statements are regrettable and reflect the jingoistic mindset of India, which can further exacerbate the already vitiated environment.
"Indian falsified claims and belligerent statements are motivated by an exaggerated view of its own capacities and hegemonic designs. India's mistaken belief and irresponsible rhetoric are fraught with unforeseen dangers in an already volatile strategic environment," he said. He stated that Pakistan has no desire to escalate the situation and has reacted with maximum restraint. "However, the Indian confrontational attitude is a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," Dr Faisal warned.
On the Indian troops' ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, he said that India has deliberately escalated tensions on the border with an attempt to divert the attention of the international community from the grave situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where the Indian occupation forces have unleashed a reign of terror committing brutalities against the innocent and defenceless people.
The situation on the LoC and Working Boundary is deteriorating with each passing day, he said, adding heavy weapons, including mortars, are frequently being used by the Indian forces on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting in large number of civilian and military casualties and damage to properties. This is in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Arrangement, he added.
During the first two weeks of 2018, he stated that the Indian forces carried out more than 100 ceasefire violations, resulting in martyrdom of four Pakistani soldiers and three elderly civilian ladies, while injuring around 17 others.
"This is a continuation of the unprecedented trend of ceasefire violations in 2017 when Indian forces carried out more than 1,970 ceasefire violations, resulting in martyrdom of 54 innocent Pakistani civilians and injuries to more than 200 others. This includes women, children and elderly people," he added.
He stated that Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was summoned to Foreign Office on Thursday and the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Working Boundary on 18th January 2018, in Sialkot Sector, were condemned.
He said the unprovoked firing by Indian troops resulted in martyrdom of two innocent civilian ladies, Perveen Bibi, 45, and Ayesha, 20, while injuring five others, including three females. He said that the Indian forces along the Working Boundary started indiscriminate and unprovoked firing with heavy mortars and automatic weapons on Wednesday night on the civilian populated villages in Sialkot.
Despite calls for restraint, he stated that India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. He said that the Indian side was urged to permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
The spokesperson also expressed serious concerns over launch of Qaedat al-Jihad (bases of Jihad) in the subcontinent, a new branch of the al Qaeda by Al Zawahiri and designation of an Indian national as its chief, saying that these are worrying developments, as they indicate an extension of the al Qaeda network in India and the likelihood of increased Indian recruitment.
"Growing extremism and intolerance in Indian society unfortunately provides fertile breeding ground and safe havens for such and other extremist organizations to gain a foothold and expand," he warned, adding that the growth of extremist groups in India proves that terrorism has no religion or faith.
Asked to comment on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent visit to India, he stated: "As a matter of policy, I shall not comment on bilateral relations of other countries. However, the belligerent Indian posture and huge arms buildup pose a serious threat to the peace and tranquillity of the region."
To a query regarding a "Free Karachi" campaign in the US by anti-Pakistan elements, he said that Pakistan has taken a serious note of this smearing campaign in different US cities by Pakistan's detractors.
He said that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua forcefully raised the issue with Ambassador Wells, who assured us that the US fully respects Pakistan's territorial integrity. Pakistan Embassy in Washington has been instructed to follow up the matter with the US authorities to prevent the recurrence of such activities, he added.
When his comments were sought on Defense Minister Khurram Dastagir's statement that "Pakistan has suspended intelligence sharing and military cooperation with the US," the spokesperson said cooperation between Pakistan and the US is still continuing in all areas, adding, "to the best of my knowledge, cooperation in all areas continues with the US."
About the recent visit of US Acting Assistant Secretary of States Alice Wells, he said that the purpose of the visit was to find common ground between both sides "for which continuous communication is essential and it is ongoing."
He said that Pakistan's position is also very clear and consistent. "We want an early repatriation of Afghan refugees with dignity, check on the flourishing narcotics and drug trade in Afghanistan that is a major source of funding for terrorist elements, strengthening border fencing mechanisms and curb the use of Afghan soil by regional countries and terrorist organizations to launch deadly attacks on Pakistan," he added.
To another query, he expressed his inability to confirm the reported visit of an Afghan Taliban's delegation to Pakistan from its Qatar office as well as the meeting of various Taliban factions reportedly held in Istanbul. "I cannot comment on the media reports as no side has confirmed this officially," Dr Faisal said.
He declined to comment on Afghan President Ghani's statement on Afghan troops' incapability to survive without the US forces, adding, "He [Ghani] has far better understanding and knowledge about the capacity of Afghan security forces."
However, he added that the assessment of the former Commander in Chief of the Afghan Forces raises serious questions on the efficacy of training and spending of enormous resources on an entity which after such a heavy investment in terms of time and capital cannot rise to the task for which it was created.
Commenting on the reports which indicate that more than 20 Daesh cells are operating in Kabul, the spokesperson said: "The admission of presence of over 20 terrorist groups in Afghanistan came from the highest public office holder in Afghanistan." He said that the vast tracts of ungoverned and contested spaces have been instrumental in attracting international terrorist groups like Daesh to shift to Afghanistan.
"India has developed a nexus with some of these groups and used them to orchestrate terrorist attacks in Pakistan. We have been saying this all along that the locus of instability lies in Afghanistan and should be tackled there," he added. Unfortunately, Afghanistan, instead of fighting these terrorist groups, has been externalizing the blame for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, he regretted. However, he said that Pakistan stands ready to cooperate with Afghanistan to fight these terrorist groups.
"We are prepared to cooperate with Afghanistan in the fields of security and counterterrorism," he added.
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