By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday strongly rejected any deal on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, saying the decision of International Court of Justice (ICJ) would be implemented in accordance with the law of land.
“Absolutely, no deal on Kulbhushan. We will honour the ICJ judgment in light of the law of Pakistan and there should be no doubt about it,” Foreign Office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said here at a weekly press briefing, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The FO spokesman endorsed an earlier statement of the Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) that rejected speculations about an amendment in Pakistan Army Act to implement the ICJ verdict regarding the serving Indian navy commander.
The United Nations’ top court based in The Hague, Netherlands in its final decision on July 17 this year after two-year-long proceedings had ruled “an effective review and reconsideration of the death sentence by Pakistan, by the means of its own choosing of legislation”. The FO Spokesman said Kartarpur Corridor was open for visit by any citizen of Pakistan, however clarified that media crew would require a prior security clearance for its equipment.
On first day of opening, around 12,000 persons including from India and Pakistan visited the Gurdwara, whereas up to 5,000 will be allowed in future on daily basis, he said. On recent decision of Indian Supreme Court in Ayodhya case, the spokesman said the “dangerous precedent had put all mosques across India under threat”. “After Ayodhya case, the veneer of the so-called image of Secular India has been completely shredded,” he said.
He said Pakistan strongly condemned the 1992’s demolition of Babari Mosque where Muslims used to pray for last 450 years and added that it would raise voice at different levels against the decision of Indian judiciary that permitted construction of temple at the site.
The FO Spokesman said India had cornered itself after its wrong decision of abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by scrapping Article 370 and 35-A. He called upon the international community to pressurize India on lifting the three-month-long continuous curfew and internet blockage and also release the detained Kashmiri leaders. He rejected the notion that Pakistan had toned down its protest on Kashmir, saying there was no change in policy.
“Pakistan is not inching back from its stance on Kashmir and will always stand by it,” he added.
About 265 fake websites run by India in over 60 countries for propaganda including targeting Pakistan, the spokesman said the study by an independent organization was a manifestation of the fact that “nothing good could be expected” from India. Asked update on inquiry related to entry of social media star Hareem Shah into the briefing room of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the spokesman said, “We have ascertained the facts and all necessary measures have been taken to prevent occurrence of any such incidents in future.”
Agencies add: Foreign Office spokesperson, Dr Muhammad Faisal in his weekly briefing reiterated the government’s stance on the matter of apprehended Indian spy, Kulbhushan Jadhav and dismissed all rumors and speculations in this regard. Dr Faisal said that they uphold what was stated by the Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (DG-ISPR) yesterday, with regards to speculative news doing the rounds entailing an amendment to the Army Act of the military courts to aid the caught miscreant.
DG-ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor yesterday, refuted media reports claiming an amendment in Pakistan Army Act by terming it ‘incorrect’.
