FS Tehmina Janjua meets EU envoys, rejects India's allegations on Kashmir attack

FS Tehmina Janjua meets EU envoys, rejects India's allegations on Kashmir attack

Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua met with the ambassadors from the European at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Saturday and underscored Pakistan’s position on the Pulwama attack in Indian occupied Kashmir.

The foreign secretary categorically rejected Indian government remarks of Pakistan’s involvement in the attack. She also raised the issue of gross human rights violations by the Indian occupation forces in occupied Kashmir.

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Earlier, briefing the ambassadors from non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the foreign secretary said Indian claims regarding involvement of Pakistan in Pulwama attack were contradictory and unverified social media content had no grounds.

She pointed towards known tactics of India to divert global attention from gross human rights violations in held Kashmir.

Tehmina shared Pakistan's perspective with Ambassadors on unfounded allegations by India after the attack.

The foreign secretary emphasized continued importance of implementing the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Pakistan strongly condemned the continuing attacks on Kashmiris, in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in Occupied Kashmir.

In a tweet message on Saturday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Dr. Mohammad Faisal said, Pakistan strongly condemns the continuing attacks on Kashmiris in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.

He added that even the Kashmiri students are also being systemically targeted in India as the authorities stay complicit and inactive.

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The FO spokesman further said that India must not use the Pulwama attack as a carte blanche to intensify its atrocities against innocent Kashmiris in the held Kashmir.

Following the Pulwama attack, Kashmiris have been targeted in IoK by Indian security forces and Hindu extremists.

The Foreign Office also summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia and lodged strong protest over baseless allegations made by India.

The FO rejected unfounded allegations of India on Pakistan in the aftermath of a suicide attack in the Occupied Kashmir.

Ahluwalia was also handed over a demarche which strongly rejected any insinuation by elements in Indian government and media circles that seek to link the attack to the State of Pakistan without investigations and proof.

Moreover, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is in currently on a visit to Germany, also asked India to refrain from levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan.

"Since day one we have been desirous of good relations with all our neighbours, including India," Qureshi said.

On Friday, Pakistan strongly rejected any insinuation that sought to link the attack to Pakistan without investigations.

“Attack in Pulwama in IoK is a matter of grave concern. We have always condemned heightened acts of violence in Valley. We strongly reject any insinuation by elements in Indian government and media circles that seek to link the attack to State of Pakistan without investigations,” FO Spokesperson Dr Faisal said in a tweet.

On February 14, at least 44 Indian security personnel were killed in the deadliest attack on government forces in Pulwama.

According to media reports, the security personnel died when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off as a convoy of military vehicles drove on a highway some 20 kilometres from Srinagar.

“An IED went off as a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) convoy passed by,” senior police officer Munir Ahmed Khan said. “…We are evacuating the injured from the site and don’t have their number at the moment.”

It is the deadliest attack on the Indian occupying forces in the held territory since September 2016 when 19 soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn raid on the Uri army camp.

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers in occupied Kashmir.