An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard during a strike in Srinagar on February 16, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday expressed "grave concern" over reports of violence and burning the Quran in Indian administered Kashmir.
During the weekly press briefing on Friday, the spokesperson said Pakistan hopes the Indian government will carry out the announced inquiries.
“On the reports of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Indian occupied Kashmir, this is a matter of grave concern. It has hurt the feelings of Muslims not only in Pakistan but all over the world. We have noted that Indian government has expressed its intention to carry out an investigation. We hope and urge that the investigation is done expeditiously and those responsible for this act are brought to justice.”
Asked about the Indian response to Pakistan's query over the 2001 Indian parliament and 2008 Mumbai attacks, the foreign office spokesperson said that Indian officer responsible had denied the statement.
"In its preliminary response, the Indian government says that the said Indian former official has denied having made that statement."
The spokesperson though added that the government was still seeking more information.
Despite this, the spokesperson said that Pakistan was keen on the resumption of the composite dialogue with India, and through back channels.
“A number of CBMs (Confidence Building Measures) are in place and need to be implemented. The back channel diplomacy can also contribute to addressing the mistrust. Pakistan also wants the resumption of formal dialogue process with India i.e. Composite Dialogue.”
He hoped that the Judicial Commission’s visit to India regarding the same issue was still under planning.
Aziz's Afghanistan trip pushed forward
The Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has pushed his trip to Afghanistan by a day, and will travel to Kabul on Sunday, the foreign office spokesperson said on Friday.
The foreign office spokesperson informed that Aziz will not be travelling on the previously announced date of July 20, and will now instead make the journey on Sunday, July 21.
Asked why had the schedule changed, the spokesperson explained Sunday was “convenient for both sides.”
He also mentioned that a senior official of the ministry will be accompanying Aziz on the trip.
Detailing the adviser's agenda for the trip, the spokesperson said that he would deliver an official invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the Afghan President for a visit to Pakistan.
“The Prime Minister has extended an invitation to the President of Afghanistan to visit Pakistan. Sartaj Aziz will be carrying the formal invitation for the visit.”
Aziz will also be speaking to Afghan officials to set the ground work for an impending summit.
“The other objective of the visit is to hold substantive preparations for the summit-level meeting. We attach high importance to our bilateral relations with Afghanistan, which would be reviewed during the visit.”
The spokesperson added that other topics on agenda include talks over peace and stability in the region and the peace process.
"The regional situation and issues of peace and stability will also be discussed. Pakistan side will reiterate its strong commitment to support the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Pakistan hopes that the process of reconciliation will catch momentum since this is the best way to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
However, only meeting with senior Afghan officials and the Afghan President were on the agenda, and no meetings with ISAF commanders or the Taliban had be scheduled. As far as the Doha process was concerned, Pakistan “will remain supportive of it as part of the larger reconciliation process in Afghanistan.”
“Pakistan believes that all stakeholders in Afghanistan should engage in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process,” claimed the spokesperson. “The Government of Pakistan will always remain supportive of the efforts for reconciliation out of our conviction that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will be an effective way to secure lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the whole region.”
COMMENTS (49)
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@Water Bottle:
How many fake accounts did you set up to 'Recommend' your purile comments?
Note to ET Moderator: Do these senseless comments by Indian trolls add anything to the debate? By publishing them, all you are doing is lowering the tone and bringing youe own newspaper into disrepute.
Please remove them in future and put them where they belong: in the dust bin.
I replied to Iqbal the very moment he posted his comment , ET didnt let it post.
And Mariyams "state of mind" was not directly addressing me. She probably felt like entertaining people so she wrote the humor. I dont take people like her seriously.
Regarding your concern , Mr. Iqbal frets a lot. Dont worry too much.
Things are not what they seem.
The people due to which Pakistan is running are not responsible for the actions of Mullah's or historic dictators or the sheltered terrorists.
The true and real Pakistani has always been very responsible and caring.
The only bad luck has been that we never got actual chance to run our state affairs.
Hopefully things are moving ahead properly.
So relax man , dont let these media wars and propaganda wars lower your spirit.
If it were to these Indians or people like Iqbal , Pakistan would have ceased to exist decades ago.
@Asif Butt
@Iqbal: Courtsey of people like you, Iqbal has become the new alias for Mir Jafar & Mir Sadiq it seems..'
Is that all you can offer aainst his very well articulated post ably supported with relevant links. Does telling the truth makes some one a Mir Jafar? Also you should take notice of @Mariyam's post at you.
pakistan has great concerned about Kashmir....but not concerned about Katchhi community in Lyari where Ethnic cleansing done...their abandoned houses and shops looted in the prresence of LEA"s ...living in shirned and camp..without govt.support..media and tv Anchors are silent on their plight
and yes they have no concerns for killing in their own yard beacuse killings in pakistan is not a issue but a routine...
stay ignorant stay isolated
@Jag Nathan: thank to RAW
@Asif Butt: We Indians have grave cocern over Pakistan denying right of self detemination of Sindhis agitating for Sindhudesh, Baluchis for Independent Baluchistan, "Azad Kashmir" from Pakistan and the street next block in Islamabad
Kashmir's a are better off without Pakistan's concern, time to let them go. They should be an independent country, both India and Pakistan should realize that
It looks as fi Pak media over reacts to any happening in India.Even Pak govt take the same stand.In India the Muslim population has increased from 5% in 1947 to 20% in 2011.Whereas the population Hindus in Pak has reduced from 15% in 1947 to 5% as per latest reports.Muslims in Indi enjoy more liberty in India as compared to Muslim countries.All the Muslims shot in Kahmir are terrorists who were trying to run into a paramilitary camp.to loot armory.So nothing wrong in killing such desperadoes.
Mind your own business Pakistan!
@Asif Butt:
Good.
That's why you are a failed state today :)
@Obaid:
"Pakistan having internal problems doesn’t mean that it cannot express concerns over genocide of the kashmiris by the Indians. "
Are you being honest with yourself?
You are telling factual lies here.
Lie no.1 : "Pakistan having internal problems"
Pakistan does not have internal problems. Pakistan is dying/disintegrating from internal problem.
Lie no. 2 : "genocide of the kashmiris by the Indians. "
This is a blatant lie. 4 people from an unruly mob dying is not a genocide.
The biggest lie :
"Pakistan having internal problems doesn’t mean that it cannot express concerns over genocide of the kashmiris by the Indians. "
Do you, in your heart believe that Kashmir is a bigger concern for Pakistan than 1000s of grave internal problems?
@Asif Butt:
Good post brother, but you didn't go far enough.
Let's not neglect our grave concerns over:
Hindustan's spiralling AIDS epidemic
Hindustan's fervent breeding of institutionalised Hindutva fanaticism
Hindustan's hideous practice of caste discrimination
Hindustan's perfidious maleficence with ALL its neighbours
Hindustan's utter failure to quell the numerous separatist movements which are spread across over a third of its geography
Frankly even this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the global nuisance that originates from this insecure, fabricated nation-state.
Hasan
India is a terrorist country who attacked its own parliment and city bomby..it has has been involved in neighbour country directly or indirectly infkuencing terrorism like sri lanka, bangladesh, pakistan and kashmir.
@Shahzad: "Our PM wants bijili from India produced from waters of kashmir"............you are wrong mr, shahzad ice melted water from the great HIMALAYAS
@Asif Butt: Dear Indians ,Buzz off! You are being too harsh, Butt, ji :D Besides, ET provides a ;platform for people to voice their opinion... unless you are suggesting Hindus and Muslims can't use the same internet aka Two Internet Theory :D
@Kashmiri: Is it 100,000 or 100 million? Please recheck your numbers. I think it is 100 million. Think big, man !!
Can the 'grave cocncerns' of a country/society/people/state/civilisation that hosted OBL for close to a decade ( While pretending to be a front line participant in WOT) be taken at face value let alone seriously? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The answer is a resounding NO.
As to J&K, please understand that for Pakistan this Jugular Vein is cut and totally damaged. GOP is still in dreams and concerned for no reason for them to worry. The more you cry, the more GOP is humiliated in International community for interfering in India’s affairs. Please realize that ‘Shimla Agreement’ is an agreement by a DEFEATED NATION to reclaim its soldiers caught by enemy. This spokesperson has forgotten but entire world knows that Pakistan and its entire assembly by a resolution agreed not to interfere in the matters of J&K. The only issue remains for negotiation is about PHK and GB. Better to show some restrain and Gairatmandee and keep high heads down in pointing such issues? Infuse some positivity and learn to abide by international treaties. Try to give people of PHK and GB their due rights and stop genocide of Shias in this land. Thanks
"“Pakistan believes that all stakeholders in Afghanistan should engage in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process,”" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And Afghanistan believes that all stakeholders in Pakiistan should engage in an Paki-led and Paki-owned peace and reconciliation process,” The TTP and the Balouch being major stake holders.
@Water Bottle: You indians should be concerned about your frustration. I am a Pakistani and I never go to indian media but out of your frusration, you indians buzz over Pakistani media like flies. This further increases your frustration when you read not only in Pakistani but also in international media that despite problems, majority Pakistanis live a happier life than indians and the death rate due to suicide, hunger and malnutrition is higher in india. I can only pray for a relief of your frustration.
Asif Butt speaks the truth loudly and proudly! I know as much, because he has just regurgitated about 80% of the entire Pakistani school curriculum, grades 1 - 12. And we are always taught true things and stuff. May our Pakistani education system, famous the world over, never change. In fact, the Jones polynomial was first discovered in the quiet hallways of International Islamic University, Islamabad, where it was stolen by visiting-scholar-type infidels who then took credit. And everybody knows that the speed of light was known to Ibrahim Lodi, who could surpass it at will. We almost won a Nobel prize in physics, but that dude had the wrong version of the right religion etc.
@Asif Butt: Your response just shows what has been suspected of muslims. This article sums up how prejudice is taught in Pakistani schools: http://beta.dawn.com/news/672000/pakistan-schools-teach-hindu-hatred#idc-cover I suspect you had been to one of these schools and ended up being brainwashed. I live in UK and there are plenty of independent researches confirming that hindus have become more superior then us. Why don't you accuse UK of the same prejudice as you are giving to Indian hindus? You know very well that all the facts show that we guys are far behind the Indians except in two things. And that is bigotry and terrorism. Have the common sense of first doing your homework and then start writing. I have done mine and this 2002 UK article (since then things have become worse) will show that hindus are far ahead of us in a country where neither muslims or hindus are in majority: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/feb/20/race.immigrationpolicy While you are at it you may want to check how we have also become criminals. In UK muslims represent 3.7% of population but the prison population is a whopping 13% (hindus are 1% in UK but in jails they are only 0.5%). I suppose you will say that this is a conspiracy of the Indians. Are you surprised that even the West have now started to hate us? When there are people like you it will become even more. Sad but true.
@Kashmiri: Sir, Why do you not say something about the killings and forced expulsion of Kashmiri Pundits from their century-old homes in Kashmir by Muslim terrorists (both Kashmiris and Pakistanis)? If you have any sense of justice, you will not hide behind what has become a stale and ad nauseam allegation of Indian soldiers commiting "atrocities" on Kashmiris.
@Water Bottle:
NO.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over the Muslim hate mongering Hindus of India.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over the Indian state which has always made every effort to weaken us since partition.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over the Indian Hindus who can never ever be happy by seeing Pakistan progress.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over our Hindu neighbors who will always stab us regardless of us achieving peace or not.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over the role of India in Balochistan.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over the role of India in grooming Afghanistan against us.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over every sour Indian Hindu who comes to our websites to take out his poison.
We Pakistanis have grave concern over India having denied Kashmir the right of self determination.
. . .
Dear Indians ,
Buzz off!
@Water Bottle @Jag Nathan
Pakistan having internal problems doesn't mean that it cannot express concerns over genocide of the kashmiris by the Indians. Using absurd logic and pointing fingers rather than addressing these HR violations just so that you lot can indulge in Pakistan bashing.......feel sorry for you.
Pakistan has no moral high ground to worry about Indian occupied Kashmir and Kashmiris. Taliban are teaching all kinds of lessons to Pakistan and their fellow Muslims for which Pak should worry. Suicide bombings and Shia Sunni rampant killings all across the country are of greater concern than unduly politicised plight of Kashmiris. Pakistani statement is nothing but a joke.
@Water Bottle: Ohh you indian ... :D you must have understood ;)
@Shahzad
I have no doubt that given the choice Kashmir would elect to manage it's own affairs and ask both Pakistan and India to take a long walk off a short pier.
India too have grave concern about killings in Karachi, and Balochistan.
@Kashmiri: Please read the following link to give you a clear picture: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistani-Hindus-worst-victims-of-rape-US-report/articleshow/21167541.cms
Feel free to express your concern but please don't bring blasphemy, desecration and imaginary insults in to this tragic incident. Indian armed forces can be high handed but they are not stupid that they will disrespect holy book of any religion or community.
What about showing some concern on the desecration of Ahmadi graves, Christian homes, Bible, Shia Mosques ??
Someone please take the pacifier out of NS mouth. He is mute on the violence in Kashmir and the confession from the interior minister about Mumbai Attacks being an internal doing..
Nearly 100,000 Kahsmiris have been killed in Kashmir by Indians soldiers, and they've abused over 9.000 women.
The international community has been silent, they haven't been speaking up against India.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty international are not allowed in Jammu-kashmir by the Indian goverment, and the Indian government treats Kashmiris by a different law.
@Naveen: Your comment is irrelevant, but i'll answer in it any ways.
The reason why the Hindu and Sikh populations in Pakistan have declined are is because many Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India after partition, just like how many Muslims migrated to Pakistan, it was two-way immigration.
Another important fact many Indians forget is that, Northwestern parts of India(present day-Pakistan) has always been predominantly Muslim unlike East Bengal, also if Pakistan has been forcefully converting Hindus then why is Deepak Perwani and Danish Kaneria not Muslim?
What has been going on in Kashmir is genocide, and the world shouldn't ignore it, because Kashmir could be the next Bosnia.
Nearly 1500 people were killed in violent incidents in Karachi during the past six months. 717 people killed in terrorist attacks out of which 635 are Shi’a (834 injured) during the past six months. AND Pakistan have “grave concern” over death of 4 in india.
Pakistan has grave concerns about every country execpt itself.
"Pakistan has 'grave concerns' over violence in Kashmir" ----- Really?! What a paradox ---- having 'gave concerns' over violence in Kashmir-----while we Pakistanis are totally, absolutely, criminally indifferent about violence over here right in the heart and mind, actually the whole of Pakistan. The very violence which is violently destroying the whole 'body' of Pakistan and us with it as people.
Indians have grave concern over violence all over PAkistan
We Indians express our grave concern with regard to the violence in Baluchistan, FATA, Khyber Pakhtoonwa, Swat and Karachi. People living in glass houses should not be throwing stones.
Fake statements. Who cares about Kashmir and Kashmiris' blood, our PM wants 'bijli' from India produced from waters of Kashmir. Sanest person on earth, huh. Kashmir was, is and will always be a part of Pakistan (logically, culturally, religiously), the incompetence of GoP though will remain an issue towards resolution though. I am a Kashmiri myself and I say "Kashmir banay ga Pakistan". Pakistan Zindabad.
Pakistan should really have grave concern over Balochistan, Wazhiristan, Karachi and elsewhere.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its economy.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its power crisis.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its genocide of Ahmadis/Shias.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its educational situation.
Pakistan should have grave concern over PIA and railways.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its future.
Pakistan should have grave concern over its existence.
Deny, deny, deny, deny.......