"It is essential to note that the humanitarian gesture does not obviate the fact that this was not an ordinary meeting between a mother and wife with their son and husband. The reality remains that Commander Jadhav is a convicted Indian terrorist and spy responsible for multiple deaths and destruction in Pakistan," Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal said while responding to Indian allegations during his weekly media briefing.
The purpose of the visit on December 25 was to have a meeting, on humanitarian grounds, of Commander Jadhav with his wife and mother, which was successfully achieved despite all impediments, he said, adding "this needs to be acknowledged, if not appreciated."
He said that the meeting initially scheduled for 30 minutes was extended to 40 minutes on their request, adding the success of the meeting is evident from the fact that the mother thanked Pakistan after the visit. "Indian allegations coming 24 hours after the visit are baseless, counterproductive and regrettable. They vitiate the atmosphere and can distort a goodwill gesture which can be better used for mutual good," he added.
Further responding to India's hue and cry on the security measures during the meeting, he said that a comprehensive security check was essential, adding this was agreed between both countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels. "The visitors were treated with respect and dignity. The clothes change and removal of jewelry/ornaments etc were purely for security reasons," he asserted, adding the visitors changed into their own clothes after the meeting.
On the controversy over the shoes of Jadhav's wife retained after security personnel found something 'suspicious' in her footwear, Dr Faisal said that all the belongings were returned to the visitors before they left but the shoe belonging to Chetankul, Jadhav's wife, was retained as it did not clear the security check.
He said that investigations were underway to resolve the mystery around 'suspicious' thing found in Chetankul's shoe. Before retaining the shoe, he said, it was explained to the visitors and the Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh who was accompanying them and "raised no objection at any point."
"Commander Jadhav is a spy and a terrorist," he emphasized, adding that the meeting was not allowed to be conducted in Marathi due to security reasons. There is nothing sinister in that. They spoke comfortably in English for about 40 minutes. He also revealed that the meeting between Jadhav and his family members was duly recorded and India was pre-informed that the meeting would be recorded.
He further revealed that Jadhav's mother was allowed to say a short prayer in Hindi/ Marathi. Further rejecting the Indian criticism on the security procedure, he stated that many routine airport security checks for ordinary people entail removal of Christian crosses and Muslim veils. "Trying to distort an agreed security check and attempting to portray it as a deliberate religious/cultural disrespect denotes bad faith and is regrettable," he lamented.
The spokesperson stated that Pakistan had also formally proposed a detailed media interaction of the visitors, including with Indian media to be held in the Foreign Office, adding this was even shared with the Pakistani media, well beforehand. However, this proposal was turned down by India in writing, he said, adding the Indian request was accepted.
He insisted that media has every right to ask questions from a safe distance in line with international norms. "No specific distance was agreed to, as reported in certain sections of the media," he said. However, the situation on ground in Ministry of Foreign Affairs was shown to the officers of Indian High Commission in the evening of December 24 and they consented to it.
"Indian media is driving its policy. Unlike India, media in Pakistan is not under any restrictions or gag orders," he said, adding Pakistan has been totally open and transparent throughout the meeting, offered in good faith. "We should focus on the bigger positive outcome and not get bogged down in details or distortion of facts," he advised the Indian side.
To a question, he confirmed that Pakistan has also received a note verbale from India on the meeting of Jadhav with his family members, adding that it would be responded accordingly. To another query, he said that there are a total of 555 Pakistanis languishing in India jails under different charges. He further stated that Pakistan would release 291 Indian fishermen in two phases on humanitarian grounds.
To a question with regard to the missing Colonel Habib Zahir (retd), he said that a letter has been sent to Indian authorities seeking details on the whereabouts of retired officer, who had gone missing from Nepal in April this year. He said that Nepalese authorities were actively pursuing the case, adding there was not any further update on his whereabouts.
Responding to another query, he said the United States has not refused to provide F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. On the LoC violations, he said that India so far committed 1,813 ceasefire violations in 2017, adding this year has witnessed an unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces resulting in the martyrdom of 54 civilians and injuries to 174.
He said that the Indian acting deputy high commissioner was summoned to the Foreign Office on Wednesday on the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces in the Rakhchikri sector on the LoC and the use of IEDs that resulted in the martyrdom of three soldiers and injuring another. Pakistan categorically rejected the Indian claims that there was any crossing of the LoC by the Indian forces, he added.
"The false claims by India about the alleged cross LoC adventures are a figment of their imagination and counterproductive for peace and tranquility on the LoC," he added. To a question, he said that the US has not refused to provide F-16 planes to Pakistan. The US officials, however, were barred by the Congress to utilize funds from the military assistance for Pakistan previously agreed upon between the two countries, he added. "There is no bar on Pakistan to buy the F-16s from the national funds," he added.
On Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Taro Kono's visit to Pakistan on January 3-4, 2018, he said that the visiting foreign minister will hold wide ranging talks with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on bilateral issues. Both sides will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interests. Foreign Minister Kono will also pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister and also meet other political leaders, he added.
"Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Japan," he said. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1952, he said that Pakistan-Japan relations have steadily progressed in political, economic, trade and other fields. "High- level bilateral visits have been a major component of this relationship," he said, adding Japan has also been a major development partner of Pakistan and it has played an important role in the socio-economic development of the country. "Foreign Minister Kono's visit will help further cement our bilateral ties," he added.
On the 1st China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue which was held in Beijing on Tuesday, he said the three sides reaffirmed their commitment to improving their relations, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, advancing connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, and fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestation without any distinction.
On the expansion of CPEC, he said the three sides agreed to strengthen trilateral economic cooperation and discussed ways to explore enhancing linkages of the CPEC with Afghanistan through connectivity projects to advance the objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative. The three countries believe that such cooperation is in the mutual interest and important for promoting regional connectivity, he added.
He said the three foreign ministers agreed to jointly work together on political mutual trust and reconciliation, development cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counterterrorism as three topics of the trilateral cooperation.
They also reaffirmed that a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, which is "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" and is fully supported regionally and internationally, is the most viable solution to end violence in Afghanistan. In this regard, they called on the Afghan Taliban to join the peace process at an early date, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017