Pakistan Foreign Office. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministry on Saturday rejected India’s claim that an item seized from a Pakistan-bound commercial vessel had military dimension, saying it is a heat treatment furnace casing system which has several industrial applications.
Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement that Pakistan has noted the reports about inspection and seizure by Indian authorities of an item from a Pakistan-bound commercial vessel. The Foreign Office has also been approached by the private company in Pakistan which imported the seized item.
“The item under question is a heat treatment furnace casing system which has several industrial applications. It is not listed in any international export control list. Contrary to what is being claimed, the item was correctly declared in the relevant documentation and there was no attempt to hide or conceal any information,” the spokesperson said.
The Indian authorities had detained Chinese merchant vessel MV Da Cui Yun in the first week of February at Deendayal port, formerly known as Kandla port, alleging that it carried an autoclave which had been mis-declared in the cargo manifest.
The Foreign Office spokesperson explained that the claims regarding the possible military dimension of the seized item were factually incorrect as similar furnaces were being used in several industries in Pakistan and the world over.
A day earlier, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that the Pakistan-bound merchant vessel was detained by India, but strongly rejected the allegation that the vessel carried cargo that breached non-proliferation and export control restrictions.
“The autoclave on the ship that India claimed to be material for ballistic missiles is neither military supplies nor dual-use items under non-proliferation and export control,” Lijian Zhao told a media briefing in Beijing.
Lijian said the ship operators had truthfully declared the cargo to Indian authorities and, therefore, there was no concealment or false declaration.
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