Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday renewed allegations of India’s involvement in aiding terrorist activities in Pakistan.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria, while making the charge at a media briefing, cited confessional statements of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and former Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.
A day before the army released the video ‘confessional statement’ of Ehsanullah Ehsan, who had also been spokesperson for TTP breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA). He surrendered to the army last week.
Ehsan claimed Taliban and JuA group had links with and were supported by intelligence agencies of India and Afghanistan for infiltration into Pakistan and committing terrorist attacks.
The FO spokesman said confessions of Jadhav, who was recently sentenced to death by a military court, and former TTP spokesperson “have proven that India has been involved in supporting terrorist activities in Pakistan.”
“It has also been revealed that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Leader Omar Khalid Khorasani received medical treatment in India,” Zakariya said.
Zakaria called on the international community to take notice of “India’s interference” in Pakistan’s internal affairs, and said the matter would be raised by Pakistan at all international platforms.
Meanwhile, the decision to provide consular access to Jadhav will be taken on merit, Zakaria said on Thursday.
Zakaria told the media that Jadhav was prosecuted as per Pakistani law and his statements helped in intercepting a terrorist network in the country.
“We already have evidence in the Jadhav case,” Geo TV quoted Zakaria as saying.
Jadhav, whose family stays in Mumbai and who was reportedly arrested in Balochistan, has been charged with espionage and waging war against Pakistan. India says he was abducted from Tehran, Iran.
Urging the international community to take notice of Ehsan’s confessional video, Zakaria told the media that the former TTP spokesman’s “statement exposed the real face of India”.
He claimed that Ehsan’s confession about TTP commander Khalid Khorasani’s treatment in India is a proof that the TTP is assisted by RAW.
India has sought from Pakistan a certificate on the health condition of Jadhav, the External Affairs Ministry said Thursday.
MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said that the well-being and state of Jadhav’s health is a “matter of great concern” to India as the former Indian Navy officer has been in Pakistan’s custody for more than a year on charges of espionage.
“We haven’t seen, we haven’t met [Jadhav]. He has been in Pakistan’s custody for more than a year. So the well being and state of health of Jadhav is a matter of great concern.
“We have asked Pakistani government earlier also, and yesterday our High Commissioner [to Pakistan] Gautam Bambawale) made a request on providing a report on his medical condition. So we await Pakistan’s response,” Baglay said.
