Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Pakistan rejects Indian comment on Balochistan
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: The Foreign Office on Tuesday rejected an Indian statement about events in Balochistan as "unwarranted and baseless", APP reports.
India often shows an unacceptable proclivity to interfere in the internal affairs of its neighbours, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said after the Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a statement expressing concern about the "spiralling violence" in Balochistan.
Such a tendency is contrary to efforts aimed at building an environment of trust, peace and stability in South Asia, Aslam said. "The statement is all the more surprising from the spokesman of India, a country that has long tried to suppress the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people and has a record of systematic and serious human rights violation in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir," she said.
The "heavy-handed methods" and use of force to quell unrest in the north east of India and the widespread violence afflicting many of its parts "are well known and need no comment", she said.
"We are also intrigued by this provocative statement at this time when the two countries are engaged in the peace process to address all issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," Aslam said.
"The statement tends to vitiate the current atmosphere of improved relations that accords with the wishes of the peoples of the two countries," she added.
Iftikhar Gilani adds: Earlier, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said India had been monitoring developments in Balochistan and asked Pakistan to "exercise restraint".
"The government of India has been watching with concern the spiralling violence in Balochistan and the heavy military action, including the use of helicopter gunships and jet fighters by the government of Pakistan to quell it," Sarna said.
"We hope that the government of Pakistan will exercise restraint and take recourse to peaceful discussions to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan," he said.
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