Boat burning incident: Pakistan rebuffs Indian allegations

FO warns Delhi against creating misunderstanding, sowing discord between Islamabad and Kabul

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Tuesday rejected as ‘baseless and preposterous’ Indian allegations that it was not doing enough to eliminate terrorist groups from its soil.

The war of words erupted amid escalating tensions along the working boundary where border guards from both sides have been engaged in crossfire since last week. At least seven Pakistanis, including two Rangers personnel, have been killed in Indian shelling.



The strong reaction from Pakistan’s foreign ministry came after India objected to the US move to release $532 million in financial aid to Pakistan under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman act. US Ambassador Richard Olson informed Pakistan’s finance minister last week that the American Congress has certified the release of funds. One of the certifications that the US Congress has to give is that Pakistan is effectively dealing with terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Haqqani Network.

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said no request had been made to the US Congress for a payment under the act, which requires Pakistan to cease support for extremist groups such as the Taliban and al Qaeda. However, she said other funds were available to Pakistan.

India’s external affairs ministry said in a statement that New Delhi does not believe Pakistan is showing ‘sustained commitment’ or making ‘significant effort’ or ‘ceasing support’ or dismantling ‘bases of operations’ of the Laskhar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Haqqani Network and quite possibly al Qaeda.

But Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam rejected the Indian accusations and made it clear that the country was opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Calling Pakistan the biggest victim of terrorism, the spokesperson said the people and government of Pakistan are determined to eradicate this menace from the territory. “The brave armed forces of Pakistan are successfully conducting a comprehensive and across the board operation, Zarb-e-Azb, to root out terrorism,” she added.

Referring to the ongoing tensions along the working boundary, the spokesperson said: “the people of Pakistan see the escalation of tension by India on the Line of Control and working boundary, through continuous unprovoked firing and targeting of civilians, as an attempt to distract our armed forces from its valiant mission against all terrorists.”

The baseless and preposterous Indian allegations regarding the so-called ‘terror boat’ from Pakistan are also in the same vein, she said.

She further said that the Indian spokesperson also made equally baseless and malicious allegations regarding the ‘citing’ of Punjabi/Urdu speaking terrorist elements in Afghanistan. “India is reminded to refrain from attempts to create misunderstanding between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two brotherly nations bound by common destiny, shared culture, history and religion.

The escalating tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours comes just days before US Secretary of State John Kerry is schedule to travel to both Islamabad and New Delhi.

His visit is likely to be overshadowed by the ongoing friction between Pakistan and India. US President Barrack Obama is also set to travel to New Delhi later this month.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2014.