Ban on Jaish chief Masood Azhar
Nafees Zakaria Calls the Timing of US sanctions against some Pakistani entities intriguing
INP
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Security Council has rejected a politically motivated proposal by India seeking sanctions against Pakistan over terrorism, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.
“UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee related to Islamic State (IS) and al Qaeda has rejected a politically motivated proposal by India,” FO spokesperson Nafeez Zakaria said in a statement. “Replete with frivolous information and baseless allegations, the Indian proposal had no merit and was aimed at advancing its narrow national agenda,” the spokesperson added.
Slamming India’s policy of state sponsored terrorism, Zakaria said New Delhi was itself involved in perpetrating, sponsoring, supporting, and financing terrorism. “Pakistan has been a direct victim of India’s state sponsored terrorism and confessions of RAW’s agent Kulbhushan Jadhav about his involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan proves this fact,” he said.
The spokesperson went on to say that more evidence of India’s involvement in stoking terrorism inside Pakistan will be share with the UN and international community. “It is clear that India’s unfounded allegations against Pakistan are in fact aimed at masking its own terrorist activities in Pakistan.”
Zakaria also reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to continue close cooperation with international community in its collective endeavours for elimination of terrorism. “Pakistan has made significant contribution and rendered enormous sacrifices in success of international community’s efforts against terrorism,” he said.
Relations between the two nuclear-armed arch rivals have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base in its part of Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers. India said it responded by carrying out strikes across the heavily-militarised border, although Islamabad denies these took place.
Foreign Office spokesman, Nafees Zakaria has called the timing of US sanctions against some Pakistani entities as intriguing.
In an interview with FOrigen chanel, the spokesman said the government was aware of the sanctions.
“This means that for any transfers of technology to these entities, U.S. exporters will need a license,” he said, adding that Pakistani authorities were examining the case to ascertain the facts behind the listing.
A December 15 notification by the US Department of Commerce named the entities and added them to the Export Administration Regulations list, saying “these government and private entities in Pakistan are determined to be involved in activities that are contrary to the national security and/or foreign policy of the United States.”
The facilities in question are thought to be associated with Pakistan’s missile development program, though officials in Islamabad have not acknowledged it. The U.S. government has not revealed details of violations these entities are alleged to have committed.
The spokesman said that Pakistan was ready to work with the U.S. at the level of experts to devise mutually agreed-upon procedures for end-use guarantees.
“This will help in assuring non-diversion of high-technology exports from the U.S. without hampering our legitimate imports for socioeconomic development activities,” the spokesman said.
Pakistan officials insist their missile and nuclear programs are “completely indigenous,” and that U.S. sanctions will have “little bearing” on them.
“It means nothing for us,” said a senior official associated with the projects. He requested not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, the media said.
