The Foreign Office Thursday said that the Indian dossier on the Pulwama incident was investigated and no linkage of the information with the incident has been found. Speaking at his weekly media briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, however, reiterated Pakistan's readiness to move further on the investigation if specific actionable evidence is provided.
He said that information was provided by the Indian side on February 27 and a 10-member Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team started investigation into Pulwama incident soon after Pakistan received the Indian dossier.
"No linkage [of the dossier] has been found with the Pulwama incident," he said, adding, "We have informed Indian side that we are ready to cooperate if they have any actionable intelligence/evidence that would sustain and clear the threshold of Pakistani courts, we are ready to work on that," he said.
"But at the moment, with the available information, we can't, as there is nothing that could link the people, mentioned in the dossier, with Pulwama incident," he added.
He said that the Indian side has mentioned about 93 names in the dossier, besides some phone numbers. "No linkage could be found of these phone numbers with Pulwama event," he asserted.
He reiterated that Pakistan needs more information from Indian side to further the investigation. "We are ready to cooperate in a very transparent manner. If there is any information or evidence, they need to share with us and we will move on," he added.
He said according to the preliminary investigation, there is no linkage of Pakistan with Pulwama incident.
On a question about Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar's alleged role in the incident, the spokesperson said that "the dossier does not claim any linkage of Masood Azhar with the Pulwama incident."
India, on February 27, had handed over a dossier to Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi with regard to the alleged involvement of JeM in the February 14 Pulwama incident in which more than 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in a suicide attack.
To a question, Dr Faisal said that the diplomatic community has also been given a comprehensive briefing on the investigation into the dossier provided by India.
Responding to another query with regard to media reports that Pakistan may open Sharda Temple corridor for Indian Hindu pilgrims, the spokesperson that no decision has been taken as yet to open the corridor, adding that a 'positive' environment is required to move forward on such initiatives.
To another query about Pakistan-India tension, he said that de-escalation has yet not happened with India in the wake of Pulwama incident.
When asked when Pakistan will formally declare de-escalation of tension with India, he said once tension de-escalates, it will be announced.
He stated that Pakistan has repeatedly offered dialogue to India for resolution of all disputes but the Indian side has never reciprocated.
Asked to comment on the latest resolution circulated by the US, UK and France at the UN Security Council to blacklist Masood Azhar, he regretted the move saying that the resolution has been circulated in the Security Council at a time when the matter was under consideration by the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee.
He said that it is a technical issue and the appropriate forum to address it is the 1267 Sanctions Committee. "Such efforts to circumvent the established machinery for this purpose will only weaken the sanctions regime. We want to amicably resolve this issue in the committee through consultations. Any action outside the sanctions committee will undermine the integrity of the sanctions regime and must be avoided," he asserted, adding that Pakistan is committed to fulfil its obligations under the UN sanctions regime.
Commenting on Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's seeking a report from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad about two Hindu girls' alleged abduction from Ghotki and conversion to Islam, the spokesperson termed it as desperate electioneering ploy by the Indian leadership.
He reminded to the Indian side that it is the Indian government which allowed the massacre of Muslims and gang rape of Muslims women in Gujarat. He also drew attention towards the gross human rights situation in occupied Kashmir as well as forced conversion of Muslims in India to Hinduism. He said human rights should transcend politics.
He also urged the international community to put pressure on India to halt its gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and help resolve the lingering dispute.
To another query, he said Pakistan has also taken up with the Indian government the issue of security of its prisoners in their prisons and called for protection of life and security of the Pakistani inmates in the Indian jails.
Asked to comment on the US move of recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Syrian Golan Heights, he condemned the US decision, saying that it represents a serious violation of the UN Charter, international law and applicable UN Security Council Resolutions, particularly 497 (1981). It also constitutes a serious blow to the rule of law and international norms, he added.
"Withdrawal of the occupation forces from all the Arab land including from Lebanon and Syrian Golan is vital for the peace and stability of the region and the whole world," he asserted.
To another question about the reported dissatisfaction of the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on anti-money laundering measures taken by Pakistan during the recent discussion with Pakistani authorities, the spokesperson declined to comment, saying that the matter does not fall within the mandate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the leading ministry is the Ministry of Finance on the matter.
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