ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Thursday said the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in various terrorist activities across Pakistan.
Chaudhry added that the matter had been taken up “a number of times” at the highest level with India through diplomatic channels.
The foreign secretary said two culprits arrested from Karachi recently have revealed that they received training from RAW. He said some militant groups are yet active in the country who carried out terror attacks with the backing of RAW.
He said Pakistan has repeatedly provided evidence of spy agency’s involvement to the Indian government.
The foreign secretary said the investigation of the massacre of 45 people belonging to Ismali community in Karachi on Wednesday is underway and if India’s spy agency found to be behind the attack, the issue will be taken up on all international forums.
Aizaz CHudhary said Pakistan is fighting war against terrorism from fifteen years and India should refrain from interfering in it.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also clarified in his recent visit to Afghanistan that the Afghan soil should not be used against Pakistan.
Chaudhry said that Daesh’s involvement in the attack cannot be established on the basis of a pamphlet purportedly left by militant group. However, he said, security agencies are investigating the attack.
A letter was left by the gunmen on Wednesday who attacked the bus carrying members of the Ismaili community.
He said Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and has proven that it has used its nuclear technology for socio-economic and scientific development.
Earlier during the day, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office spokesman responding to a question about Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan had said that Pakistan has told Afghanistan that Indian spy agency RAW should not be allowed to operate against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalil Ullah , when asked about Indian intelligence agency RAW using Afghan soil against Pakistan, said Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations stipulates in clear terms that we will not allow our territory used against each other.
He said Pakistan has conveyed concerns to the Afghan side that RAW should not use their territory to create instability in Pakistan.
On the reconciliation process in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said Pakistan supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process for peace and stability in the entire region.
When asked to comment on reports that the Indian prime minister wants to use cricket diplomacy to improve relations with Pakistan, Qazi Khalil Ullah said Pakistan welcomes the positive statements coming from India. He noted the cricket matches between the two countries have always brought the peoples of two countries close to each other. It is our desire to play the cricket series against India.
The spokesman strongly rejected allegations that Pakistan government had prior knowledge of US operation of 2 May 2011 against Osama Bin Laden. He said the accusations made by the US journalist Seymour Hersh about Pakistan are totally baseless.
He said Pakistan’s commitment towards eliminating terrorism remains firm. It has rendered enormous sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He said the ongoing military operation against terrorism is a clear manifestation of our determination to root out terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
About presence of Daish in Pakistan, the spokesperson said the terror outfit has no footprints in Pakistan but our security forces are alert to meet any threat.
To a question on Saudi-Yemeni conflict, the spokesperson said Pakistan has welcomed the Saudi decision of ceasefire and announced humanitarian assistance for the brotherly people of Yemen.
INP