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Pakistan on Thursday reiterated that India’s fictitious narrative of victimhood could not hide its involvement in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan’s soil and the state-sanctioned oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, at his weekly press briefing, said that Indian involvement in fanning terrorism in Pakistan and destabilising Balochistan was clear.

Referring to Indian involvement in global assassination plots, he said that not only in Pakistan, India had been sponsoring such unlawful activities in the entire region.

“Instead of blaming others, India should reflect on its own record of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,” he remarked and pointed out that India had not condemned the recent attack on Jaffar Express in Balochistan.

Unwarranted assertions over IIOJK

The spokesperson said that Pakistan was alarmed over the increased frequency of Indian leadership’s unwarranted assertions about Jammu and Kashmir.

He said it was India that took Jammu and Kashmir issue to the United Nations in 1948 so it had no right to blame the Security Council and its erstwhile members for the resolutions that were subsequently adopted.

“Repetition of baseless claims cannot deny the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status is to be determined by its people through a UN-supervised plebiscite, as stipulated in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”

Khan said that a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, was essential for a lasting peace in South Asia.

Reiterating Pakistan’s advocacy of constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, he said peace and stability in South Asia had remained hostage to India’s rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions.

“The anti-Pakistan narrative, emanating from India, vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation. It must stop,” he remarked.

PM’s visit

Apprising the media of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, he said that both leaders had productive discussion on ways to further strengthen Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties in trade, investment, energy & security.

Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked MBS for the Kingdom’s consistent support to Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan welcomed the signing of the treaty on delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, marking the end of a protracted border dispute.

“We firmly believe that this significant turn of events will open up new possibilities of cooperation and advancement in the region,” he added.

Torkham border reopening

The spokesperson told the media that the deadline for the deportation of illegal foreign nationals was unchanged and reiterated Pakistan’s call for Afghan authorities to act against TTP and Daesh-K involved in carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

He told the media that the Torkham border had been reopened till April 15 as efforts would continue to seek a permanent solution to the issue in the meantime.

Regarding the inclusion of Pakistani nationals in certain visa restriction categories, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that both the State Department and Foreign Office had refuted the speculative reports on social media.