Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir on Sunday described Indian media reports on infiltrations as baseless and called for both neighbours to address their respective concerns through dialogue instead of whipping up frenzy.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir on Sunday described Indian media reports on infiltrations as baseless and called for both neighbours to address their respective concerns through dialogue instead of whipping up frenzy.
He called for leaving the issue to be addressed by the military authorities rather than pointing fingers. He also found fault with the way the Indian media, especially news channels, were focusing on “so-called incursions and infiltrations”.
Talking to reporters in Hyderabad, he maintained that Pakistan wanted peace on the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir and was ready for dialogue on all difficult issues to resolve them amicably.
He stressed the need for broad-ranging engagement through dialogue to build confidence saying “you address our concerns and we will address yours”.
Bashir pointed out that at the recent meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in New York, it was decided that director generals, military operations (DGMOs) should be asked to give suggestions to ensure ceasefire is respected.
Criticising Indian television channels, he said some of them were making good business out of, what he called, negative reporting about Pakistan. He commented that Pakistan bashing was favourite pastime of these channels.
“Friendship can flourish only if it is nurtured and cultivated in hearts and minds of people and by poisoning the hearts and minds of the people, you are killing the very soil on which it is to be based,” he said.
“In the last few days, the Indian media has been focusing on Karen sector. There are concerns and we have concerns. Let us sit together and address them that is the civilised way of dealing with this instead of whipping up frenzy and creating hysteria. It does no good to anybody,” he said to queries about the alleged involvement of the Pakistani army in ceasefire violations.
“But if we are going to talk about infiltrations and incursions, then we must also talk about something which is very important and which needs objective reflection in Pakistan, in this country and elsewhere,” he said, and asked who was funding the terrorists who were targeting civilians, the Pakistani Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence.
“We have evidence which we have shared and we are prepared to share with the rest of the world and particularly with government of India on these aspects about fuelling of acts of terrorism in Pakistan. I say this not to make a propaganda point,” he said.
“If you want, I can vitiate atmosphere by spelling out those concerns but I don’t want finger pointing. Let us address each other’s concerns… that is the way forward and that is the logical, rational and civilised way. Let us not do this through media,” Bashir added.
“Whoever is making the argument that they (infiltrators) have not descended from heaven, I want to ask who are these thousands of people who are involved in heinous acts of terrorism in Pakistan. Have they descended from heaven? We agree they have not descended from heaven. From where are they being funded and sourced?” he asked.
“Unfortunately in this country you don’t see this. It is not mentioned here. What you see is propaganda against Pakistan which serves no good. It is detrimental. We will deal with this issue in Pakistan. This issue is not local to Pakistan, it is global and for us it is also regional,” he added.
Bashir called for restoring the dialogue process. “We should resolve that whatever incident happens, we will not deviate and will continue to tread this path,” he said.
“There are forces which are inimical to good relations. If you terminate or a put pause in the dialogue you are playing into hands of those very elements,” he said to queries why some terror attack happens whenever the two countries make efforts to improve ties.
He said Pakistan more than any other country suffered due to terrorism, noting his country lost 50,000 civilians to terrorism while about 10,000 armed forces died while combating terror.
He reiterated that Pakistan respects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and denied that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif termed him a “dehati aurat (rural woman)”.
IANS
