RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday summoned India’s High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale and a strong protest was lodged over the unprovoked firing by Indian forces on Line of Control (LoC), besides rejecting the baseless claim regarding the so-called surgical strikes.

“The Foreign Secretary summoned the Indian High Commissioner this evening (29 September 2016) and rejected the baseless Indian claim regarding the so-called surgical strikes,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.

He said the Foreign Secretary condemned the unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces on the LoC, resulting in Shahadat of two Pakistan armed forces personnel. “These incidents are a continuation of a pattern of ceasefire violations committed by India,” the Foreign Secretary was quoted as having said.

He said the Foreign Secretary conveyed that the armed forces of Pakistan will continue to give a befitting response to any act of aggression.

The Foreign Secretary noted that India has deliberately escalated tensions at the LoC in order to divert the attention of the International Community from the grave situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, where the Indian occupation forces have unleashed a reign of terror against innocent and defenseless people.

“The Foreign Secretary condemned India’s baseless accusation against Pakistan for the Uri attack, within a few hours after the incident,” the statement said, adding he recalled that it has been a practice in India to blame Pakistan for every such incident but later investigations proves otherwise.

The Foreign Secretary stated that Pakistan remains a victim of interference and Indian State sponsored terrorism. In this regard, he referred to the confession statement of serving Indian Naval Officer, KulbushanYadav, who had been carrying out terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan and Karachi.

The Foreign Secretary also expressed Pakistan’s deep disappointment at the decision of India not to participate in the SAARC Summit. For its part, Pakistan is committed to the objective of regional cooperation, envisaged in the SAARC Charter, the statement added.

It further said that the Foreign Secretary conveyed Pakistan’s deep concerns over life threats to Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi and urged the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of Pakistan’s High Commissioner, other officials and their families, in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

Foreign Office sources said that Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit had received threatening calls from unknown numbers, asking him to leave the country.

They said that the telephone numbers used in the calls were shared with the Indian authorities by the officials of the High Commission who also called for an immediate action against the persons behind the threatening calls.