Pakistan hands over dossier on ‘India’s interference’ to UN chief

Pakistan handed over a dossier on India’s alleged “interference” in the country to new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday and asked the world body to play a role in “restraining” India from such activities, according to its Foreign Office.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi delivered the dossier on “India’s interference and terrorism” in Pakistan to the UN chief along with a letter from Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

“The dossier contains additional information and proof of Indian/RAW interference in Pakistan and involvement in terrorism particularly in Balochistan, FATA and Karachi. This is a follow up to the three dossiers, which were shared with the United Nations in October 2015,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

In the covering letter sent with the dossier, Aziz claimed that the arrest of “Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistan and his confessional statement admitting involvement in activities aimed at destabilising Pakistan, and support to terrorist elements vindicated Pakistan’s long-standing position about India’s involvement in such activities.”

India has confirmed that the man was a former Indian navy official but denied the man was a spy.

Aziz also claimed that India was carrying out these activities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorism and international conventions on terrorism.

Jadhav has been accused by Pakistan of planning “subversive activities” in the country. India has acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.

India’s “hostile intentions” towards Pakistan were also borne out by recent statements of its political and military leadership, Aziz was quoted as saying in the letter.

India has demanded immediate consular access to Jadhav, arrested in Balochistan in March.

Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said after more than nine months of keeping him “wrongfully and illegally in custody,” the Pakistani authorities have not found a “shred of evidence against him.”

On Friday, Aziz said Pakistan had made a major contribution to global counter terrorism efforts and secured significant gains in its domestic fight against terrorism.

Aziz urged the Secretary-General and relevant United Nations bodies to seriously consider the matter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play a role in “restraining India from these activities, which were in clear violation of international law and posed a threat to regional and international peace and security.”

“Pakistan continues to desire peace with all its neighbours including India. It is convinced that the common objectives of economic development and prosperity for our people can best be promoted through regional cooperation, conflict resolution and peaceful settlement of disputes,” the Foreign Office statement said.

“At the same time, however, Pakistan will resolutely defend its territorial integrity and take all necessary measures to counter any threat to its security,” it said.