Pak tells Kabul: Ask India to stop using your soil

Pakistan on Thursday asked Afghanistan not to allow India to use its soil against Pakistan. Addressing a weekly news briefing here, foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria alleged India was using Afghan soil against Pakistan.

To a question about alleged Indian arms supply to Afghanistan, Mr Zakaria said such cooperation should not be to the detriment of Pakistan.

He said the international community should play its role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and ending Indian brutalities against people in Kashmir.

He said over 80 Kashmiris had been killed, 7,000 injured and 500 deprived of their eye-sight due to pellet gun fire by Indian forces.

He said Pakistan has been sensitising the international community about the plight of people in Kashmir. Pakistan would also continue its moral, diplomatic and political support for peaceful struggle for right to self-determination. The spokesman said that in view of the delicate situation in Kashmir, Pakistan has already extended an invitation to India for dialogue. He said Kashmir remained the top issue on negotiating table of Pakistan. Mr Zakaria said Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner and through result-oriented and sustained dialogue, which was not fragile enough to break down after some incident.

To a question, he said Pakistan and India discussed Kashmir issue bilaterally several times during the last six decades but the dialogue did not meet success due to “Indian intransigence”.

He said the Simla agreement did not prevent taking the issue to the UN as under the accord the two countries upheld supremacy of the UN charter in the conduct of their relations.

He said relevant UN resolutions on Kashmir were still outstanding on the security council agenda.

Replying to another question, he said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Balochistan in his bid to divert attention from “gruesome situation” in Kashmir.

However, the world is not naive and understands Indian machinations, he added. He said large-scale reaction against Mr Modi’s remarks in Pakistan especially in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan also exposed the Indian designs.

The spokesman said preparations were on for hosting of 19th Saarc summit in Pakistan.

He told a questioner that efforts are continuing to muster support for Pakistan’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. He said Pakistan meets the criteria required for membership of the group.

To a question he said Pakistan has already taken up with the British authorities the issue of provocative speech of Altaf Hussain. He said Pakistan has been emphasizing that politically negotiated settlement is only viable solution of Afghan problem. He said the Afghan government should give an unambiguous message in favour of reconciliation and offer incentives for the purpose. Meanwhile, on Thursday, newly elected President of Pakistan Administrated Kashmir Masood Khan called upon the Indian government to stop undue violence in Kashmiri. Speaking to reporters in Muzaffarabad after taking oath, Mr Khan said the forth-coming generations of Kashmiris will never forgive India for the treatment it has meted out to the people of valley. He commended that the government and people of Pakistan have always extended their full moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris.