Diplomatic row deepens

Islamabad: In the wake of Thursday’s attack in Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir. the diplomatic row between the two countries has deepened prompting the foreign ministries of both Pakistan and India to summon envoys of the other country and register strong protest.

Pakistan Foreign Office has cautioned the Indian government against any ‘misadventure’ and urged the Indian side to share evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the suicide attack.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in Munich to attend a security conference in a video message said he was saddened by India’s ‘knee-jerk reaction’ levelling allegations without sharing any proof or evidence against Pakistan.

He said the agenda given by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his foreign office to diplomatically isolate Pakistan is a dream which will never come true.

He said the world knows Pakistan is not involved in the recent attack in Pulwama.

Meanwhile, taking line from their Foreign Ministers, officials of the foreign office in each country are lobbying with their friends in the international community to achieve a moral, diplomatic and political support.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held a meeting with the envoys of the permanent member countries (P-5) of the UN Security Council, namely, US, Russia, China, France and UK — and explained Pakistan’s position.

Sponsoring violence or terrorism is not Pakistan’s foreign policy, said she rejecting the Indian allegations of Islamabad’s involvement in Pulwama attack.

In the meeting with P-5 envoys, Janjua “noted a familiar Indian pattern of immediate and reflexive assignment of blame on Pakistan without investigations,” said an official of the Foreign Office when he was asked to share the details of the meeting.

The meeting came hours after India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Friday met at least two dozen envoys in Delhi, including those from the P-5 nations.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary said in the meeting that her country pursued a constructive approach towards India, and Pakistan’s offer of dialogue and “Kartarpur initiative are a clear evidence of this”.

Citing Janjua, Foreign office’s spokesperson, Dr Faisal wrote on Twitter “ratcheting up tensions in the region will be counterproductive”.