ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday took a step forward to internationalise and reached out to foreign capitals regarding the activities of Indian state-sponsored subversive and terrorist activities inside Pakistan — having contacts with Taliban and aiming at sabotaging the China Pakistan Economic Corridor — which has led to nine Indian officials including diplomats at the Islamabad Mission found involved in promoting terrorist activities and terror financing.
The government says it has pursued a policy of restraint, patience and sobriety which has been appreciated the world over. A number of countries have expressed their appreciation of this policy.
Pakistan has also blamed Indian authorities for restricting the movement of Pakistani diplomats including that of the High Commissioner on many occasions and the matters have been taken up with the Indian authorities through the diplomatic channels.
While three of these Indians have been asked to leave Pakistan, the other six have been named and shamed but not declared persona non grata with the government saying that “the relevant authorities, will determine the next course of action”.
New Delhi unofficially hinted on Thursday that now that their cover was blown they would ask these officials to return home, but officially Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Vikas Swarup declined to comment when asked whether the eight diplomats stationed in Islamabad would be withdrawn.
It was Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi who briefed the Islamabad-based OIC ambassadors Thursday in which a detailed briefing was given about Indian state terrorism activities as well as the continuing grave human rights violations inside Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK).
The SAPM also highlighted the escalated situation at the LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting from the unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations from the Indian side. He stated that the Indian government had deliberately escalated tension to divert international attention away from its grave human rights violations in the IHK. A number of innocent people have lost their lives due to unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces.
India has also violated the diplomatic norms and code of conduct of maintaining relations between two sovereign states. Whereas, India violated diplomatic norms and Vienna Convention when Pakistan diplomatic staff was arrested and tortured until the High Commission intervened.
Islamabad is of the view that along Indian security agencies, which keep surveillance on each one and everyone’s movement round the clock, knew that Mahmood Akhter was a High Commission’s official but they chose to violate Vienna Convention.
They deliberately released the names of six other diplomats and diplomatic staff falsely accusing them, which endangered their’s and their families’ lives. They were unable to perform their diplomatic duties while their families were harassed. Consequently, Pakistan had to recall them for their safety. These highly regrettable acts were also part of their desperation to divert world’s attention from atrocities in IHK.
Spokesman at the Foreign Office meanwhile at the weekly briefing commented, “We are disappointed that India has not only been found involved in promoting terrorist activities and terror financing as was disclosed by Kulbhushan Yadav and further confirmed by the statements at the highest political level on August 15 and earlier during visit to Dhaka, but India has also been using its diplomatic mission for its nefarious designs”.
Unlike in the past when foreign officials or diplomats were declared persona non grata by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked to leave immediately, this time around the sheer numbers of Indian officials and diplomats whose covers are being blown by intelligence agencies without declaring them persona non grata is shocking to say the least.
Some of these actions like releasing photographs is a crude attempt to say the least as in the case of Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi, this action also compromises their and their families safety.
That the Foreign Office is still not declaring the six Indian officials as persona non grata and not asking them to leave is also intriguing as they say they are waiting for ‘relevant authorities’ to take the next step.
In a written statement the spokesman pointed out that: A number of Indian diplomats and staff belonging to the Indian intelligence agencies RAW and IB have been found involved in coordinating terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan under the garb of diplomatic assignments. Their names and designations are: RAW’s operatives are (1) Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri, Commercial Counsellor, RAW’s station chief; (2) Anurag Singh 1st Secy Commercial; (3) Amerdeep Singh Bhatti Attache Visa; (4) Dharmendra Sodhi, Staff Member; (5) Vijay Kumar Verma, Staff; and (6) Madhavan Nanda Kumar Staff. Indian IB’s operatives are: (1) Balbir Singh, 1st Secy Press & Information IB Station Chief; and (2) Jayabalan Senthil, Asstt Personnel Welfare Officer.
Surjeet Singh who was declared PNG a few days back was also an IB operative working under Balbir Singh. Surjeet was using a fake identity as Abdul Hafeez pretending to be a telecom company, Warid’s employee.
The activities of these operatives of RAW and IB included: Espionage, subversion and supporting of terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi, sabotage CPEC, and fuel instability in the two provinces. Also create unrest in GB.
In the garb of commercial activities expand network of their operatives and agents. Leverage their position as diplomats for ingress into influential circles for gathering inside information.
Damage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations with a variety of activities. Infiltrate Indian agents into social, media and political circles to propaganda purposes and activities detrimental to Pakistan’s interests.
Fabricate evidence to portray Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. Handle factions of TTP, instigate religious minorities, fuel sectarianism and malign Pakistan with propaganda on human rights issues. Activities in AJK detrimental to the Kashmir cause and misled international community about indigenous movement for self-determination in IHK.
To a query about the workings of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi after the departure of a large number of diplomats, the spokesman remarked, “Definitely, when such a vacuum is created the working of the High Commission is bound to suffer. However, (this withdrawal was necessary) as they are unable to perform their duties and so was the case with their families who have also been subjected to harassment. Thus, we have recalled them”.
The spokesman to another query said that making public names of Indian officials and diplomats was not a knee jerk reaction but their activities were being monitored over a period of time.
“It has been Pakistan’s stance for over a long time the Indian state intelligence agencies have been involved in promoting terrorist and subversive activities to destabilise Pakistan for quite some time. Whatever has come to the fore is not just surveillance of a few days but over a period of time. Their activities have exposed their real motives. It is regrettable that India has been using a diplomatic mission for the nefarious design”, he added.
The spokesman was clear that there was no definite answer on how to stop such activities by Indian officials and diplomats even though a vetting process is carried out before issuing visas. “We expect that those who come on diplomatic assignments would confine their activities within the confines of diplomatic norms and Vienna Convention”, said the spokesman.
Pakistan blames India for the present crisis which shows no indication of slowing down. “This present crisis is India’s doing. Pakistan has always pursued a policy of maximum restraint and patience and made many gestures towards peaceful relations with India, but India remains intransigent and arrogant. Indian atrocities in IHK are absolutely not acceptable and India must stop bloodshed immediately. Our repeated offers of talks remain un-responded. We remain open to a result-oriented and sustainable dialogue”, complained the spokesman.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/162313-Indian-diplomats-have-contacts-with-Taliban-FO
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