The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated in a weekly media briefing that the arrest of Indian spy commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was found involved in espionage and subversive activities in Pakistan, is evidence of India’s repeated involvement in terrorism in the country. Pakistan desires peace in the region and with all its neighbors, including India, and expects India to take steps to create an environment that facilitates dialogue on all disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesperson rejected any suggestion that Islamabad was involved in terrorism, calling recent Indian comments on this matter unwarranted and baseless.
Baloch also addressed the upcoming Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers Conference in India, saying that Pakistan is committed to regional cooperation and will play a role in strengthening and the success of the SCO. Negative statements and developments could not deter Pakistan from playing its part in the organization, of which it is an equal member.
Regarding the evacuation of stranded Pakistanis from Sudan, the spokesperson informed that 847 Pakistanis have been evacuated from Khartoum to Port Sudan, and some have been transported to Jeddah, while others are being moved to Jeddah on ferries operated by the Saudi government. Pakistan is grateful to friendly countries in the region, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for facilitating this process by providing transport and hosting Pakistani nationals until their repatriation to Pakistan.
Pakistan passes bill to give relief to ‘Kulbhushan Jadhev?
According to the Pakistani military, an Indian naval officer named Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March 2016 in Baluchistan on charges of espionage and sabotage, has been sentenced to death. Pakistani military officials claimed that Jadhav was running a clandestine terror network within the province and participating in various activities meant to destabilize the country. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had protested the announcement, stating that if the sentence is carried out, it would be considered as premeditated murder. The Pakistani military maintains that Jadhav was a foreign agent and spy who was tried through a Field General Court-Martial, which is reserved for heinous crimes involving foreign agents and spies. This decision had further strained the already tense relations between India and Pakistan.