Islamabad apprises envoys of Pakistan's stance on Pulwama attack, Delhi's 'knee-jerk' reaction
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Sunday apprised envoys from Africa and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on Islamabad's position on the recent deadly attack targeting Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir's Pulwama area, and New Delhi's "kneejerk" reaction blaming Pakistan and threatening it.
Janjua in today's interaction with envoys belonging to SCO states "recalled a familiar pattern of India blaming Pakistan instantly after such incidents without any investigation", the Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted.
The foreign secretary also briefed resident ambassadors from African states. A day earlier, the foreign secretary had taken envoys from the European Union and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, on board to clear Islamabad's position over the Indian campaign against it.
'India must come out of denial mode' The Foreign Office (FO) tweeted that a "deliberate anti-Pakistan frenzy is being spurred in India", and warned that "baseless Indian allegations and aggressive rhetoric are counterproductive and a threat to regional peace". A separate FO statement issued today explained that Pakistan had rejected India's allegations because they were "made within a short time from the attack and without carrying out any investigations".
"These knee-jerk and preconceived accusations were nevertheless consistent with well-rehearsed tactics from the Indian playbook after such incidents in the past," the statement added. The FO stressed Pakistan's desire for normalisation of ties with India and recalled Prime Minister Imran Khan's letter to Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. "Prime Minister Khan followed his intention of taking two steps if India takes one with the proposal for both foreign ministers to meet at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and a comprehensive, tangible roadmap for normalisation of ties."
"It was India which cancelled the meeting on baseless pretexts. Similarly, the Pakistan Kartarpur initiative is another step aimed at improving people to people contacts and deescalating a vitiated environment," the statement continued.
"Bluster, belligerence and pursuit of expedient standards to suit internal political interests is both delusional and counterproductive. India must come out of the denial mode, end state repression against Kashmiri youth, address widespread alienation In IOK and pursue the path of dialogue," the statement asserted. ' India needs to introspect over security, intelligence lapses' The Foreign Office statement also raised questions over India's acceptance of a video released by the attacker claiming to have ties to the Jaish-i-Mohammad (JeM).
"As for Indian assertions about 'JeM claims of responsibility' and the purported 'video of the attacker', the FO spokesperson questioned the selective and self-serving standards that India adhered to in this respect. The spokesperson drew attention to the clear dichotomy in the Indian position," the press release said.