-Elaborates India ‘trying to seek tacit approval’ for misadventure against Pakistan
-Argues India desperate to divert attention from its internal crisis
-Claims India is sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan
-Highlights Indian tactics using NGOs, other networks to spread misinformation against
Pakistan
-FO says Army ready to give befitting response to any Indian aggression
By Our Diplomatic
Correspondent
Abu Dhabi: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said he had credible information that India was planning a surgical strike against Pakistan to divert attention from its internal affairs.
The foreign minister made this statement at a press conference in Abu Dhabi, where he is ending a two-day visit during which he held meetings with the top brass of the Emirati leadership. At the presser, Qureshi summed up his engagements with the UAE leadership over the last two days but also touched on the designs of India, which he said were “picked up by intelligence”.
“An important development has cropped up. I’ve learned through our intelligence forces that India is planning a surgical strike against Pakistan,” said Qureshi. Terming it a “serious development” he further elaborated that India is already “trying to seek tacit approval” from what Qureshi said were “important players who they consider to be their partners”. The minister said in his opinion this operation was being planned so India could divert attention from “serious internal issues” and as a means to unify divisions in the country. Qureshi noted that Pakistan had revealed “India sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan” through a dossier that it shared with the international community. He also mentioned the recent report by the EU DisinfoLab which exposed an Indian disinformation network of “fake websites and fake NGOs that they had launched with a sole objective to malign Pakistan”.
Army on high alert
This announcement comes on the heels of an already tense atmosphere. Informed sources said earlier this month that the Pakistan Army had been put on high alert amidst a possible threat of another attempt by India to conduct a surgical strike inside Pakistani territory. They said that after facing a humiliating defeat in Ladakh and Doklam, India was preparing to launch another attack on the Line of Control (LoC) and across the Working Boundary at Pulwama, posing a threat to the regional peace and stability.
An official said a “false flag operation” was being planned by India to divert the world’s attention from several of its internal issues, including the ongoing farmers’ protest, its treatment of minorities, atrocities committed by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and criticism of its policies by international institutions and media. “India may at any time repeat a Pulwama-like drama to divert attention from the internal problems and was planning an action along the LoC and Working Boundary,” he said. In 2016, India had claimed to have carried out a surgical strike on the LoC, a claim rubbished by Pakistan. Similarly, on Feb 26 last year, India had tried to launch a similar operation against Pakistan but failed and two of its planes had been shot down by Pakistan Air Force. Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan was arrested and later released.
The decision to put the army on high alert comes days after the Indian government approved the creation of a new post of deputy chief of strategy at the army headquarters as per a plan envisaged during the Doklam crisis with China in 2017, besides creating the position of director general information warfare who will also be dealing with media affairs.
Moreover, Qureshi mentioned that Pakistan had exposed the nefarious designs of India to create instability and presented before the world the credible evidence in this regard. He said the Indian Chronicles report by EU DisInfo Lab was a proof that India was misusing the platforms of international bodies such as United Nations and European Union. He said Pakistan was a peaceful country, however was firm to give a befitting response in case India made attempt of any military misadventure. Qureshi urged upon the world to take notice of India, which he said, was playing a dangerous game of targeting peace in the region.The Foreign Minister said he held a wide-ranging meeting with his Emirati counterpart and discussed issues of bilateral importance. He said Pakistan and UAE enjoyed close brotherly relations and stood by each other in difficult times.
Earlier in Dubai, the Foreign Minister visited Pakistani Consulate, where he was received by Consul General Ahmed Amjad Ali and senior officials. The Foreign Minister was briefed that Dubai Consulate repatriated 58,500 Pakistanis stranded during the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the Dubai Consulate distributed 17,500 ration bags and made arrangements for sending 359 bodies to Pakistan. The Foreign Minister commended the Consul General and his staff for taking special care of the Pakistani community in Dubai, despite limited resources, in the wake of the global pandemic. The Foreign Minister directed the Consul General to use economic diplomacy to acquaint the effective investors of Dubai with the best investment opportunities available in Pakistan. On the other hand, Indian Army has deliberately targeted a United Nations (UN) vehicle carrying military observers at Line of Control (LoC), according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.
According to the details shared on the Twitter account of the ISPR, Indian Army resorted to unprovoked fire in Chirikot Sector of the LOC and deliberately targeted a United Nations (UN) vehicle with two Military Observers on board. The military observers, army’s media wing said were enroute to interact with victims of the ceasefire violations (CFVs) in Polas Village in Chirikot Sector. It must be noted that the UN vehicles are clearly recognisable even from long distances due to their distinct make and type and clearly visible markings.
“While the vehicle was damaged, the two UNMOs luckily remained unharmed. They were safely rescued and evacuated by Pakistan Army to Rawalakot,” the ISPR said. It further said that such illegal and unlawful acts against all established international norms, signify mal-intent of Indian Army to target not only innocent civilians residing along the Line of Control but the UN Peacekeepers as well.“This act only goes to show Indian Army’s complete disregard to principles enshrined in UN Charter. It is indeed a new low for Indian Army.” The media wing said that Pakistan Army stands in solidarity with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India And Pakistan (UNMOGIP) officials and appreciates the selfless services rendered by all members of UNMOGIP in discharge of their UN mandated duties.
Moreover, Indian troops on Friday “specifically targeted” a United Nations vehicle carrying two officers of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) from across the Line of Control, in what the Foreign Office termed a “new low” in their conduct. The incident occurred at around 10:45am when Indian border forces resorted to “unprovoked firing” in Chirikot sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir along the LoC, FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told a weekly press briefing.
The officers were on their way to Polas village to meet with the victims of Indian ceasefire violations when they came under fire. The UN vehicle was damaged but the officers remained unhurt, the FO spokesperson said. The officers were immediately evacuated by the Pakistan Army and brought back to the UNMOGIP field station in Rawalakot. “The reprehensible act of unprovoked firing by India on the UNMOGIP officers is indicative of a new low in the conduct of Indian occupation troops,” Chaudhri said.
He noted that India had committed 2,992 ceasefire violations so far this year alone, resulting in 27 deaths and serious injuries to 249 civilians, including 92 women and 68 children.
He called upon India to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate the incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations, and maintain peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB). “Pakistan also urges India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” he said.
Moreover, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry on Friday said that Pakistan strongly condemns ceasefire violations by Indian troops and Pakistan army is ready to give a befitting response to any aggression.
Addressing weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Friday, he said that real Indian face has been exposed to the world, adding that New Delhi must assess the gravity of the situation on any misadventure. Pakistan calls on the international community to stop any Indian campaign against Pakistan. Chaudhry said that Indian Army opened unprovoked fire on the Cherikot sector along the LoC and targeted the United Nations observers’ vehicle, however, fortunately, the people riding the vehicle were safe. “Pakistan reiterates its demand for India to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement,” he said.
