Islamabad: Pakistan today rejected reports that India had busted a spy network in the country allegedly working for the ISI.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at that he had seen media reports about arrests but “Indian authorities have not approached us in this regard”.
The role of a Pakistan High Commission employee in New Delhi has come under the scanner in connection with an espionage racket in which an alleged ISI operative and a serving BSF personnel have been arrested by the Delhi Police.
“We reject allegations against the High Commission and our premier intelligence agency. They are baseless and unfounded. Such allegations leveled against our intelligence agency in the past have proved to be false,” he said.
Responding to a query on possible resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue after the Paris meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries, he refused to give a definite answer.
“We have to wait and see. Pakistan has always emphasised the need for a sustained and result oriented dialogue to discuss all issues, resolve outstanding disputes including Kashmir and promote bilateral cooperation with India,” he said.
Khalilullah said that foreign ministers of China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Afghanistan have confirmed participation in the Heart of Asia conference here next week.
He said that the confirmation list is being updated on a daily basis.
He said theme of the Conference is ‘Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process: Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region’ and its agenda is aimed at cementing regional ties through a set of confidence building measures.
Khalilullah said the conference will be jointly inaugurated by the Pakistan premier and the Afghan president.
The spokesman denied any footprint of IS in Pakistan and promised action if its presence was detected as part of its commitment to eliminate terrorism from the country.
“We have also been extending cooperation to the international community in eliminating terrorism. This includes exchange of intelligence. We support coordinated action against terrorists,” he said.
The spokesman also expressed ignorance about the reported wounding of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a shootout in Pakistan.