Pakistan refutes reports of COVID-19 vaccine being imported from India

Replying to a question in a weekly news briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said that Pakistan had not entered into any bilateral agreement with India for the purchase of coronavirus vaccine.

He said that the International coalition for Corona Vaccine Supply Gavi has offered to provide vaccines to many countries including Pakistan.

Zahid Chaudhry said that it is not the recipient countries that oversee the procurement and delivery of vaccine doses.

Replying to another question, the spokesperson said that India was conspiring to change the proportion of population in its illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir for which it had so far paid Rs3.2 million for the permanent resettlement of Hindus in occupied Kashmir. 80,000 fake certificates have been issued. All such measures are illegal and need to be stopped, he added.

He said that SAARC is an important regional forum and Pakistan is committed to the SAARC process and is committed to hosting its summit.

He said that India was procuring arms in excess of its defence needs which posed a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

Regarding US Secretary of State Anthony Blankenship's letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, spokesperson said Pakistan has consistently supported the Afghan peace process. Pakistan's positive role facilitated the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban and subsequent inter-Afghan talks. Pakistan has consistently insisted that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and that the only way forward is through the political process.

The Foreign Office spokesman said it was important for Afghan factions to continue talks and pursue an Afghan-led peace process. Pakistan welcomes US efforts to revive the peace process and accelerate the final political settlement.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said that “Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Indian government to help in tracing Habib Zahir but unfortunately India has responded coldly on our request,”

He said that Pakistan will continue its efforts to find Habib Zahir and bring him back home.