Foreign Office rejects assertions made against Pakistan in US-India joint statement

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Pakistan on Friday took “strong exception” to the “unwarranted references” and rejected the joint statement issued by New Delhi and Washington, after the US-India 2+2 dialogue, in which it was alleged that Pakistani territory was used by terrorist networks.

India and US had called upon Pakistan to take "immediate and irreversible" action against “all terrorist networks" and to ensure that “no territory under its control was used for terrorism against other countries in any manner”, Indian news agency ANI had reported. 

The Foreign Office (FO) in its statement called the “anti-Pakistan assertions” made by Indian defence and external affairs ministers as “equally reprehensible”.

“We also take exception to the selective and one-sided nature of the joint statement. The grave humanitarian and human rights situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) caused by India’s unilateral and illegal measures of August 5 2019 and its belligerent rhetoric and actions pose a serious threat to peace and security in South Asia,” said the FO.

Islamabad reminded that the world’s failure to take cognizance of the humanitarian situation is tantamount to abdication of international responsibility.

The FO stated that the international community recognises Pakistan’s efforts, sacrifices and successes in the fight against terrorism. “We believe India’s state-terrorism in IOJ&K and its threats to Pakistan imperil regional peace and security,” said the statement.

It added that Pakistan’s “concerns and rejection of the unwarranted reference” made of the country has have been conveyed to Washington through diplomatic channels.