Pakistan on Thursday said it was looking forward to working with the new US administration, as US Secretary of Defence-designate termed Islamabad an "essential partner" for the Afghan endgame.
"If you look at the full statement of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, he appreciated Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process," said Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri at his weekly briefing.
He clearly stated that if confirmed, he would encourage a regional approach having support from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, the spokesperson pointed out.
Additionally, he also stated that he will “focus on our shared interests that include training future Pakistan military leaders through the use of the International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds”.
"We look forward to working with the new US administration," the spokesperson added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had already felicitated President Joe Biden, expressed his readiness to working with his administration.
Biden, a foreign policy veteran, is well aware of Pakistan and the regional situation. He frequently visited to the region as Head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as vice president.
He was instrumental in getting through the Kerry-Lugar bill from US Congress that tripled the non-military aid to Pakistan as part of incentives to encourage Islamabad to go after all terrorist outfits.
Pakistan is hoping that Biden administration would revive the high-level engagement which was suspended by President Donald Trump.
Also, the spokesperson said the latest revelations confirmed what Pakistan had consistently pointed out that the BJP government stages “false flag” operations; maligns Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations; stokes hyper-nationalism in the country and then deviously manipulates national sentiment in its bid to win elections.
"We had, at the outset, rejected India’s malicious propaganda against Pakistan and highlighted that the biggest beneficiary of the Pulwama attack in February 2019 was the BJP government, as it secured landslide victory in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections," he said.
"The transcripts also illustrate the unholy nexus between the ‘Hindutva’ regime and its cronies in the Indian media."
"We hope that the international community would take full cognisance of the situation and hold India accountable for its actions vitiating the regional environment and endangering peace and security in South Asia," the spokesperson said.
He said India continued to remain evasive on the horrific incident in Jodhpur, where eleven members of a Pakistani Hindi family died in India under mysterious circumstance.
A group of Pakistani Hindu Community from all across the country, including the family members of the deceased and the Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Council called on the foreign minister yesterday.
They handed over a petition, expressing serious concerns over the continuing failure of the Indian Government to carry out a transparent and credible investigation to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.
The family of the deceased has raised serious concerns, hinting at the involvement of Indian Agency ‘Research and Analysis Wing’ in the incident.
"India has not explained as to why the bodies of the deceased were hastily cremated without informing the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi (PHC) and why a post-mortem in the presence of a Pakistan High Commission’s doctor was not permitted despite repeated requests by the high commission," the spokesperson said.
The foreign minister assured the delegation that the Government of Pakistan will continue urging the Government of India to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the matter and share its findings with Pakistan without further delay.
The Minister of Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, has also addressed a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), calling for constitution of an investigation team under the auspices of the United Nations to investigate the deaths of eleven Pakistani Hindus.
Since the deceased were Pakistani nationals, it is incumbent upon the Government of Pakistan to be fully aware of the circumstances under which its nationals died in India.
The Government of India is obligated to fully cooperate with Pakistan.
Coming to the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), the spokesperson said the military siege, communications blockade, media blackout and every possible violation of the human rights of Kashmiri people continue for 535 days since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019.
In a new low, the RSS-BJP regime has merged the civil services in IIOJK with civil services of certain other Indian states in violation of the international law.
He said India cannot hide its true intention behind such decisions, which is further disempowerment of the Kashmiris through weeding out of Kashmiri civil servants from IIOJK.
Pakistan firmly condemned the framing of Shabir Ahmad Shah, by the Indian authorities in a fake (six-year-old) case under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
"It is immediately obvious that Mr. Shah’s prosecution has nothing to do with the maintenance of justice but is being undertaken by the RSS-BJP combine to muzzle the Kashmiri voices."
Pakistan demanded that the fake charges against Shah be immediately withdrawn, the political victimization of Kashmiri political leaders be seized and Shah and other incarcerated Kashmiris leadership be released without further delay.
He said Pakistan had also approached the United Nations Secretary General in New York to seek immediate release of Kashmiri leader, Mr. Muhammad Yasin Malik.
"Mr Malik has been charged on counts of terrorism under the notorious Public Safety Act (PSA) without due process and in violation of his fundamental human rights," according to the spokesperson.
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