[ad_1]
Islamabad:
The foreign ministry on Friday strongly refuted reports that Pakistani authorities had written to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to demand the expulsion of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya on Sunday.
Speaking at a weekly media briefing, FO spokesman Asim Iftikhar denied “disinformation on social media” and said the FO was not aware of such a letter.
“We have seen reports like this, also spreading disinformation on social media, with some suggesting there was a letter, allegedly signed by the foreign minister,” a FO spokesman said.
He claimed he wanted to make it very clear that it was “baseless” and that there was no truth in it. “Even this matter has nothing to do with the foreign ministry,” he added.
FO spokesman Asim Iftikhar called the claims “baseless and fabricated” and said the journalist’s murder must be investigated to find out. “We should wait for the investigative report of the Kenyan and Pakistani Commission of Inquiry,” he added.
Arshad Sharif was murdered on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, in what local police said was a “misidentification” case. However, Kenyan media have been reluctant to buy the police version and questioned the mysterious circumstances surrounding his murder.
There are reports that UAE authorities allegedly forced Sharif to leave the Gulf state at the request of the Pakistani government. The UAE’s move is said to have left the slain journalist with no choice but to seek asylum in Kenya.
However, the government has denied such reports and its involvement in the whole incident.
In an extraordinary incident on Thursday, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, along with chief military spokesman Lt Genera Babar Iftikhar, dismissed allegations that the agency was behind his murder.
Instead, senior military officials questioned what direction the senior journalist — who fled the country after being charged with sedition — had left the country without threats in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Pakistan has seen a negative reaction from India to Pakistan’s delisting from the FATF list on October 21, 2022.
“On completion of all substantive, technical and procedural requirements of the FATF, the FATF Plenary has unanimously decided to remove Pakistan from the FATF grey list and we have won the removal on technical grounds. We will continue to work with the FATF to further Improve our AML/CFT system and for our own benefit. We have repeatedly stressed that our actions under the AML/CFT system are in line with our international obligations and commitments,” Asim said.
He added that India has been isolated by the FATF for its anti-Pakistan and irresponsible stance and has not found any recipients or supporters. “We have repeatedly brought the breach of confidentiality to the attention of the Indian Task Force, and they have taken it seriously. Pakistan’s success is proof that India’s politicization efforts in the FATF have ultimately failed.”
“I would also like to stress here that India, with its tainted track record in the AML/CFT space, cannot define a ‘global interest’ and should stop giving unsolicited advice to Pakistan on this. Proving nations need to correct their ways before blaming others.”
Reject India’s baseless propaganda
Separately, Pakistan categorically rejected India’s baseless propaganda against Pakistan at the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) meeting in Mumbai on Friday.
“It is regrettable that India has chosen to abuse a vital UNSC committee to mislead the international community about Pakistan’s role in combating global terrorism. India’s mischief undermines the purpose and mandate of the committee and should be reprehensible,” A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The statement added that, contrary to India’s claims, India has been non-cooperative with Pakistan and deliberately delayed judicial proceedings in the Mumbai attack.
The Indian government should be held accountable for trying to unreasonably prolong the legal process in the Mumbai case by resorting to a series of delaying tactics, the statement said.
“India’s malfeasance intervention in today’s CTC meeting in Mumbai reaffirms Pakistan’s longstanding concerns that India is only interested in politicizing international counter-terrorism forums to discredit Pakistan. India must remember that the Mumbai attack was in court Rather than relying on anyone’s whims or wishes, it requires irrefutable and legally sound evidence to be dealt with effectively.”
The foreign ministry said that despite India’s efforts to discredit Pakistan’s intentions and efforts, the international community recognizes Pakistan’s role in the global fight against terrorism.
Instead, India has been involved in using its own land and the territories of other countries to support terrorism against Pakistan. Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was caught on the spot in Pakistan, living proof that the Indian government is involved in sabotage and terror inside Pakistan. India’s cooperation with TTP and other international terrorist groups is also well known.
It further said that India’s hypocrisy is also evident from its state-sponsored terrorism in India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where 900,000 Indian security personnel continue to terrorize, torture and torture innocent Kashmiris with impunity . Meanwhile, the world is aware of the “Saffron Terror” orchestrated and launched by BJP-RSS fanatics against Muslims and other minorities in India.
Pakistan also urged UN and Security Council members to be vigilant about India’s tendency to conduct baseless and misleading propaganda and its blatant attempts to hijack serious international platforms to achieve its nefarious agenda.
The international community also has a responsibility to bring justice to the more than 90,000 victims of state terrorism in the IIOJK.
[ad_2]
Source link