Pakistan rejects Indian MEA’s accusations after Pulwama attack

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has categorically rejected the Indian Ministry of External Affair’s accusations regarding the recent attack in Indian Occupied Kashmir, which killed more than 40 Indian security forces personnel.

At least 44 Indian paramilitary soldiers were killed on Thursday in Srinagar-Jammu Highway in Awantipora area of Pulwama district. The soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off as a convoy of military vehicles drove by, some 20 kilometres from the main city of Srinagar.

FO Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan was being blamed for alleged involvement in the attack, and India is habitual of making Pakistan a scapegoat without evidence.

“India should focus on its intelligence failure and Pakistan only wants to normalize relations with India,” said the spokesman...

He said that India will also have to accept Indian spy caught in Pakistan Kulbhushan Jadav, whose consensual statement is on record and he is a serving Navy officer in India.

Dr Faisal said that India should not try to suppress Kashmiri youth.

India on Friday had reportedly announced the withdrawal of MFN status for Pakistan, following the attack on Indian forces in Pulwama in Indian occupied Kashmir, a move which would enable India to increase customs duty on goods coming from Pakistan.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood earlier said New Delhi has not informed Islamabad about withdrawing Pakistan’s status as Most Favoured Nation (MFN).

Foreign secretary briefs Ambassadors

On Saturday, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua shared Pakistan’s perspective with Ambassadors from non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the unfounded allegations by the Indian government following the Pulwama attack.

In her briefing, the foreign secretary pointed towards known tactics of India to divert global attention from gross human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir. She emphasized continued importance of implementing the UNSC resolution on Kashmir.

“India claims based on contradictory and unverified social media content have no grounds,” Dr Faisal said.