Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said although the Indian request for consular access to arrested “Indian spy” Kulbhushan Yadav is under consideration, it would be considered in view of the relevant clauses of the agreement.
Addressing a weekly media briefing here, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MoFA) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said, “The Indian request for consular access is under consideration. It may be pertinent to mention that in the case of Pakistan and India, there is an agreement on consular matters. The request would be considered in view of the relevant clauses of the agreement.”
“The investigations with Kulbushan Yadev are in process. Based on the confessional statement, our law enforcement agencies are making every effort to apprehend all individuals involved in subversive activities in Pakistan,” said Zakaria, while commenting about status of the investigations with alleged Research and Analysis Wing’s (RAW) arrested officer.
When asked if the Foreign Office briefed Foreign Missions in Islamabad regarding the arrest of Yadav, the spokesperson said, “Pakistan has taken all the steps that you have mentioned. We have briefed the P5 members, EU and others on the issue. Future course of action will be decided on revelations and outcome of the investigations into the issue.
“We have requested these countries to raise the issue of RAW’s involvement in Pakistan with India. I would like to add here that RAW’s involvement in Pakistan is not new. It’s only that we have solid and irrefutable evidence in the form of the arrested officer, Kulbhushan Yadav. You may recall that last year we had handed over three dossiers to the UN Secretary General and the shared information with the U.S. Government.”
In answer to a question on Pakistan submitting three dossiers at the United Nation last year, Zakaria said, “These are very important issues and especially in our context since we have suffered at the hands of terrorism. More than sixty thousand people have lost their lives, more than five thousand solders and law enforcement officials have sacrificed their lives. So, it is a very big issue for us. Whatever information was available with us we have shared it with the international community.
“Among the international community, the most important multilateral organization is the United Nations and we have taken up this issue with it. Subsequently, developments have taken place, which have vindicated our position on the issue. We may share whatever shareable comes out from the ongoing investigation of the arrested RAW officer.”
Pakistan security forces have arrested a man during a raid in Balochistan province who, according to them, is “a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)”.
“The spy had links with separatist elements in Balochistan,” said the security official, adding that the individual was also involved in acts of terrorism and terror attacks in Karachi.
Confirming the arrest, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said, “the arrest has proved Indian involvement in Balochistan.”
He added that the man was “sponsoring terrorist and subversive activities” in Balochistan.
Last year, Bugti had claimed that RAW and NDS are behind the funding and training of Baloch Republican Army militants. (ANI)