Strikes in Afghanistan executed to ensure safety of Pakistani citizens, prevent terrorist attacks: FO

Islamabad: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that Pakistan’s recent strikes against neighbouring Afghanistan were carried out to ensure the “safety of Pakistani citizens” and to prevent “imminent terrorist attacks”.

Pakistan expressed severe disappointment at Indian government's callousness towards the plight of the families of the Pakistani and Indian nationals, who await justice even after the passage of nineteen years since Samjhauta Express terrorist attack.

It was stated by Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tahir Andrabi, while responding to a question at his weekly media briefing in Islamabad today.

The Spokesperson said this callous response confirms India's role as an official and political accomplice in the heinous terrorist attack carried out on its soil against innocent Pakistani and other civilians.

He said the government of Pakistan also condemns the shameless acquittal and exoneration of all four perpetrators including Swami Aseemanand, who publicly confessed being the  mastermind of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, a serving Indian Army officer and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a former BJP member of the assembly.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson also expressed alarm that the Hindutva extremism and saffron terror that had motivated this inhumane attack nineteen years ago has intensified manyfold under the current regime in India.

Tahir Andrabi said the government of Pakistan demands a fair trial in which the perpetrators and abettors of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack be brought to justice.

The Spokesperson said the families of innocent Pakistani nationals, mercilessly killed at the hands of the Hindutva-motivated extremists, deserve justice.

He said India's own systemic exoneration of the perpetrators of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack is yet another example of Indian duplicity and state sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan.

Replying to another question about recent statement of Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding Pakistani strikes against terrorists’ sanctuaries and camps in Afghanistan, the Spokesperson completely rejected it.

He said the statement vindicates our stance that India continues to aid and abet terrorism in Pakistan through its support for BLA, Fitna-al-Hindustan, and other terrorist organizations in the region.

He said Pakistan possesses concrete evidence of India's involvement in sponsoring and abetting terrorism.

Tahir Andrabi said this recent statement of Indian Ministry of External Affairs and also the statement made after the terrorist attacks in Balochistan, reinforce and provide an additional certain circumstantial evidence of India's complicity in promoting terrorism in Pakistan.

Pakistan also demanded that the perpetrators and abettors of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack be brought to justice.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, in response to media queries regarding the 19th Anniversary of the Samjhota Express Terror Attack, said this month, it has been 19 years since the horrific terrorist attack on Lahore-bound Samjhauta Express train on India's soil on 18 February 2007. He said sixty-eight innocent passengers, including 44 Pakistani nationals, lost their lives in the attack.

The Spokesperson expressed his severe disappointment at Indian Government's callousness towards the plight of the families of the Pakistani nationals who await justice even after the passage of nineteen years. This callous response confirms India's role as an official and political accomplice in the heinous terrorist attack carried out on its soil against innocent civilians-Pakistanis and others alike.

In this regard, The Government of Pakistan condemns the shameless acquittal and exoneration of all four perpetrators, including Swami Aseemanand, who publicly confessed to being the mastermind of the heinous attack, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, a serving Indian Army Officer, and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan is alarmed that the Hindutva extremism and "Saffron terror" that had motivated the inhuman attack nineteen years ago has intensified manifolds under the current regime in India.

He said families of the innocent Pakistani nationals, mercilessly killed at the hands of the Hindutva-motivated extremists deserve closure.

The Spokesperson said India routinely indulges in anti Pakistan propaganda, including by exploiting the bogey of terrorism. In this backdrop India's own systemic exoneration of the perpetrators of the Samjhota terrorist attacks is yet another example of Indian duplicity and state sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan.