Pakistan rejects Modi's terror accusations

Pakistan Thursday rejected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's terror accusations against the country and described these as part of New Delhi's smear campaign that has been waged against Islamabad for decades. Responding to a question regarding Prime Minister Modi's remarks in which he stated that 'terrorism has become a global threat and this ideology is deeply rooted and flourishing in Pakistan,' Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal stated that those were reflective of the Indian government's quintessential animus towards Pakistan and the smear campaign that India had waged for decades.
"No amount of India's anti-Pakistan rhetoric could hide its state-terrorism in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Nor could any such remarks divert the international community's attention from India's unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August, 2019 which, among other things, have turned IOJ&K into the largest prison of the world," Dr Faisal said.
He said the unconscionable lockdown had entered its 40th day since it began on August 4, 2019. "Rather than resorting to its familiar canard against Pakistan, India should pay heed to the international censure and reverse its draconian measures which are resulting in unspeakable sufferings for the Kashmiri people," he added.
Earlier, responding to media queries during his weekly media briefing, he said there was no backdoor diplomacy with India. He said the Indian occupation forces in their recent acts of state terrorism had martyred three Kashmiris in the so-called cordon and search operations including Asrar Ahmad Khan, Reyaz Ahmad Thekri and Asif Maqbool Bhat in Handwara and Sopore towns of the IOJ&K, while hundreds have sustained injuries.
He said there were reports of more deaths but due to complete communication blackout, the exact details were not coming out of the valley. He said the inhuman and unilateral actions by India were continuing without any respite despite international condemnation and censure. "We condemn the unprecedented communication blockade and clampdown in IOJ&K and impress upon the international community to take cognizance of the continuing blatant human rights violations by the Indian occupation forces," he added.
To a query about the alleged 'advice' given by the Saudi Arabia and UAE during the recent visit of the foreign ministers of the two Gulf countries 'for not linking the Kashmir issue with Muslim Ummah,' the spokesperson termed the reports as speculative.
"The media accounts are speculative. The legality and international legitimacy of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is derived from the UNSC resolutions. This is a well-known fact. During the visit, the two ministers reaffirmed the Saudi Arabia's and UAE's solidarity with Pakistan and support for the Jammu and Kashmir cause," he asserted.
About US President Donald Trump's recent offer of mediation between Pakistan and India, he said that many countries had offered mediation between Pakistan and India. "However, we cannot move forward unless India agrees to accept these offers," he added. To another query, he said that there is no second meeting planned between Indian convicted spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and the Indian deputy high commissioner.
About US President Donald Trump's cancellation of the US-Taliban peace talks and his meeting with Taliban leadership at Camp David, he said Pakistan had come to know about the cancellation of meeting. "Pakistan wants all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from violence. We have encouraged and facilitated the Afghan peace process in good faith and as a shared responsibility," he said, adding Pakistan would continue to monitor the situation and urge all parties to return to the negotiation table to take the progress achieved in the talks, so far, to its logical conclusion.
He said Pakistan had always maintained that the only solution to the Afghan conflict lied in a politically negotiated settlement led and owned by the Afghans themselves. He said that a military focused approach had failed to render the desired results. "We remain hopeful that the peace talks between the US and the Afghan Taliban would resume at the earliest and process will lead to intra-Afghan negotiations which are imperative for finding durable and sustainable peace in Afghanistan," he said, adding Pakistan hoped that the momentum, so generated, would be maintained by the international stakeholders for a peaceful outcome in Afghanistan.
When asked whether Pakistan is planning to recognize Israel, the spokesperson termed the debate in this regard as part of 'baseless propaganda' and insisted that Pakistan's policy on Israel remains unchanged. "It has already been stated that such actions are part of baseless propaganda. There is no change in our policy. Our policy of non-recognition of Israel remains unchanged," he added.
About Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that he will immediately annex a part of the 1967 occupied West Bank, Jordan Valley, if re-elected next week, the spokesperson said Pakistan rejected any such move, which would be illegal and a dangerous escalation in tension.
"While reaffirming our solidarity with the Palestinians, Pakistan reiterates its support for a viable and independent State of Palestine on the basis of internationally agreed parameters and pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital," he added. Asked about any update on the release of Pakistani prisoners as announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during his visit to the country, he said there was no update on it.