Pompeo accusations mere pressure tactics: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has plainly refuted all the allegations levelled against it by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a recent interview to a Midwestern radio station.

The US official had accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists who, he said, then allegedly “depart” [into India] from Pakistani soil. He also listed the alleged possibility of nuclear proliferation of Pakistan’s nuclear programme as a threat to the United States. In private conversations, highly placed government sources told The News that Mr Pompeo’s allegations have no basis at all. “These are all pressure tactics, nothing else,” they said. On Pulwama attack in the Indian Held Kashmir, they said Pakistan had examined New Delhi’s dossier provided to Islamabad. “The prime minister has also seen it, and the government will give its response soon.” Officials, who have gone through the document, also said the dossier had nothing worth wasting time on.

Earlier, the Foreign Office had also suggested that India should come out of the denial mode and warned that baseless Indian allegations and aggressive rhetoric were counterproductive and a threat to regional peace. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while responding to the Indian allegations, had said Pakistan wanted peace. "Our message is of peace, not war. If you have any actionable evidence, share it with us; we will investigate it with integrity and see what the reality is,” Qureshi had told the Geo TV in Munich recently. we will investigate it with integrity and see what the reality is,” Qureshi had told Geo TV in Munich recently.

“Violence is not a strategy nor is it our government’s policy,” he had said.

Qureshi had condemned the bombing, adding that he was “a little sad” that without investigating the incident India had instantly levelled allegations against Pakistan in a “knee-jerk reaction”.

“You can throw the blame at us,” Qureshi said, noting that India only “took one minute” in accusing Pakistan.Regarding apprehensions of the United States regarding nuclear proliferation, government officials said these were mere pressure tactics.

The US had been rather quiet on this subject and after a long time now publicly raised this issue. No specific charge was raised regarding Pakistan’s nuclear policy.

Pakistan’s stance on nuclear proliferation is very clear. Pakistan is committed to the international non-proliferation regime.Pakistan’s longstanding position is that “any country-specific exception for NSG membership, which overrides the long-established principles and norms, will be detrimental to the credibility of the global non-proliferation regime”.

“Pakistan takes its international commitments on non-proliferation very seriously. We are fully implementing our obligations as a state party to various international instruments, including the Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention, Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Facilities, nuclear safety conventions and the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources,” the foreign secretary had stated on record.

Pakistan created the National Command Authority (NCA) to manage and safeguard nuclear assets and related infrastructures. Many credible international experts have also expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s command and control over its nuclear programme.

The Strategic Plan Division (SPD) is also playing a very important role in managing Pakistan’s nuclear assets, along with the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), which was established in 2001.

Later in 2014, the National Institute of Safety and Security (NISAS) was created that works under the jurisdiction of the PNRA.

Regarding allegation of use of Pakistan’s soils for carrying out terrorist activities in neighbouring countries, Pakistan has longstanding stance that the country does not allow any group to use its soil for any subversive activity.

Pakistan has been taking action against all terrorist groups in its territory. It is committed to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Pakistan has killed more than 17,600 militants in counterterrorism operations started after the 9/11 terror attacks and destroyed their training camps in the restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan is also fencing its long porous border with Afghanistan to stop people from illegally crossing border.Government officials said Pakistan for its own security had started to implement National Action Plan and taken a lot of steps to eradicate terrorism and extremism.