India obsessed with blaming ISI: FO

ISLAMABAD Foreign Office on Thursday took a firm stand and came straightforward to defend countrys premier intelligence agency making it clear and loud that it (ISI) has no connection with the incidents of terrorism anywhere. Unfortunately India seems to be obsessed with the ISI and loses its capacity to be objective, a spokesperson of Foreign Office said on Thursday commenting on the Indian Defence Ministers remarks about ISI and its involvement in different incidents in his country. Spokesperson told the media men that India first accused ISI of involvement in Samjhota Express bombing in 2007 in which 42 innocent Pakistanis also lost their lives. However, later events proved who was responsible for this crime. He demanded of India to share investigation of the Samjhota Express bombing with Pakistan and bring the culprits to justice. India should shun the tendency of accusing ISI for all its problems, including Nexalite insurgency which is spread over a large number of Indian districts, Basit said. During the same press briefing, the spokesperson said that Pakistan hopes that during his forthcoming visit to India, US President Barack Obama would take up issues that are central to ensuring peace and stability in the region. Pakistan hopes that the US being a super power can play its role for regional peace. Commenting on the Indian Prime Ministers statement expressing readiness for dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all issues, the spokesman pointed out that there was marked difference between what Indians say and what they do. He said had this not been the case the two countries would surely have been able to normalise relations by settling bilateral disputes including Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesman said, Dialogue doesnt mean that we sit across the table and reiterate our respective positions. Pakistan wants a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue process and it will welcome if India moves beyond rhetoric and blame game, but there is nothing on the ground to inspire hope, he said. The spokesman also pointed out that India was killing innocent Kashmiris and hoped that New Delhi would bridge the gap between its words and deeds. Replying to another question, he reiterated Pakistans stand that drone attacks constitute breach of its sovereignty and the United States must revisit the policy that is also counter-productive. The spokesman told a questioner that there was no link between American assistance for Pakistan and operation in Fata. The two countries are finalising projects that would be funded through American assistance under Kerry-Lugar-Berman act, he added. He did not agree to a questioner that it was failure on the part of Pakistani authorities that the United States was not agreeing for civil nuclear cooperation with Pakistan despite its growing energy needs. The spokesman informed the journalists that the US was appreciative of Pakistans energy requirements and hoped that the dialogue would continue. He hoped that the situation in Afghanistan would improve allowing project for import of gas from Turkmenistan to complete. Our missions are in touch with those countries where majority of Pakistanis are in jails to seek consular access to them. When his attention was drawn, the spokesperson said Pakistans Consulate General in New York was in touch with Adnan Mirza while steps were being taken to prove his innocence, He further said that several hundred Pakistanis have since been repatriated to the homeland including those from Oman during the last one month. He mentioned that about 70 to 80 per cent Pakistanis who are in jails abroad have been arrested on charges of drug trafficking.

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