Latest news with #Shafqat
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan condemns rising Islamophobia in India
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday expressed grave concern over the alarming rise in Islamophobic incidents and human rights violations across India. Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan stated this while responding to media queries about increase in Islamophobic incidents across India. Pakistan calls upon the Government of India to uphold the rights and safety of all its citizens, regardless of faith, the spokesperson added. 'The targeting of Muslims through hate speech, discriminatory actions, and state complicity is a matter of serious concern for the international community,' Ambassador Shafqat remarked. Foreign office summons Indian diplomat in Islamabad At a time when restraint and reconciliation are most needed, the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes violates international human rights obligations and vitiates the prospects for communal harmony, and regional stability.' Earlier this month, New Delhi-based Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) reported that over 184 hate crimes targeting Muslims were recorded across India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Each case has been documented with verified sources and relevant details in our updated report. According to the Association report, Pahalgam terror attack spiked incidents of hate crime targeted at Muslims. This is an updated version of the previous report, with incidents dating from 22 April 2025 to 8 May 2025. To access data about hate crime incidents. Around 184 hate crimes were reported across India. 106 of these were linked to the Pahalgam terror attack, with the latter serving as the triggering factor. A minimum of 316 individuals were affected, physically or otherwise; this figure is an estimate and the actual number is likely higher due to underreporting and lack of documentation, APCR pointed out. The acts had common patterns that were neither random nor isolated. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Modi's allegations stoking regional tensions: FO
ISLAMABAD: Urging the Indian leadership to exercise responsibility and restraint, Pakistan has categorically rejected the baseless, provocative, and irresponsible allegations made by the Indian prime minister during a recent public address in Rajasthan, Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told a weekly media briefing on Friday. The India premier remarks, he said replete with distortions, misrepresentations and inflammatory rhetoric, are clearly aimed at stoking regional tensions for narrow political gains. 'Such statements not only reflect a deliberate attempt to mislead the public but also violate the norms of responsible statecraft,'' FO Spokesperson added. Resorting to threats and boasting about military action against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law, Ambassador Shafqat said, adding this dangerous approach undermines regional peace and stability. Pakistan remains a consistent and proactive partner in the global fight against terrorism. Any insinuation seeking to associate Pakistan with acts of terrorism is factually incorrect and patently misleading. It is a tactic often employed to divert attention from India's own internal challenges, as well as its repressive policies in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The spokesperson; however, remarked that India's attempts to mask its serious human rights violations are well-documented and well-recognised by the international community. The plight of the Kashmiri people and their just struggle for self-determination cannot be obscured by aggressive rhetoric and political deflection. Escalatory statements and belligerent posturing serve no purpose other than exacerbating tensions. Rather than resorting to fictitious narratives and warmongering for electoral mileage, India should demonstrate maturity by resolving outstanding disputes through peaceful dialogue and diplomacy. Pakistan remains firmly committed to peaceful coexistence, regional stability, and constructive engagement. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness. The people of Pakistan and its armed forces are fully prepared and capable of defending the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any misadventure or aggression will be met with a resolute and proportionate response. Pakistan has demonstrated its resolve in the past and will do so again, if required. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Use of Shaheen Missile: FO rejects Indian media's claims
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has firmly rejected the unfounded allegations circulating in certain segments of the Indian media, which falsely claim that Pakistan employed the Shaheen missile during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, stated this while responding to Indian media's baseless claims regarding Pakistan's use of Shaheen Missile in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. The range of weapons used by Pakistan is detailed in the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release dated 12 May 2025, he remarked. Operation 'Bunyan ul Marsoos': Pakistan destroys Udhampur airbase, Pathankot airfield in India, state media reports The Pakistan Armed Forces employed precision-guided, long-range Fatah series missiles—F1 and F2—as well as advanced munitions, highly capable long-range loitering killer drones, and precision long-range artillery. The spokesperson highlighted that the military sites in India and in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) targeted by these assets are also listed in the ISPR press release of 12th May. These claims, Ambassador Shafqat emphasised, originated following the release of a video by the Indian Army's official Twitter handle, purportedly showing the use of Pakistan's Shaheen missile. Upon realising that the claim was unsubstantiated, the Indian Army promptly deleted the misleading video. However, by then, sections of the Indian media had already amplified the false narrative without verification. Regrettably, some Indian media outlets continue to propagate this misinformation persistently. It is noteworthy that the Indian Army's official handle has remained silent on the matter, offering neither clarification nor retraction for the erroneous post. Analysts observe that such disinformation campaigns are part of a deliberate attempt to obscure India's setbacks in Operation Sindoor, which were a result of Pakistan's demonstrated conventional military capabilities. Additionally, these fabricated stories align with New Delhi's ongoing efforts to promote a misleading narrative regarding the ceasefire and baseless allegations of so-called 'nuclear blackmail' by Pakistan. Disseminating unverified and inflammatory content not only undermines regional stability but also reflects poorly on the professionalism of official institutions, the FO spokesperson elaborated. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan calls on international partners to restrain Indian aggression
ISLAMABAD: Given India's belligerent posture, Pakistan has called upon its international partners to ensure that India honours its commitments and refrains from further aggression. 'Should India resume hostilities, Pakistan will have no choice but to respond,' the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, told a weekly media briefing on Friday. The recent announcement of a Pakistan-India ceasefire is a positive development. We urge India to adhere faithfully to its implementation, he pointed out. He said that India's hefty defence spending is a source of serious regional concern. 'While Pakistan harbours no expansionist ambitions,' the spokesperson said, adding our armed forces remain fully capable of defending the motherland and countering any hegemonic designs. These tensions escalated into active hostilities following India's aggression against Pakistan on 7 May 2025. It is deeply regrettable that India's actions set a dangerous precedent for unilateral aggression, pushing the entire region to the brink of a disaster, he added. Our armed forces were fully prepared and responded decisively, shooting down six Indian Air Force fighter aircraft. The Pakistan Air Force acted strictly in accordance with its mandate: to target Indian aircraft that either violated Pakistan's airspace or discharged their payload against Pakistani territory. In light of India's unrelenting aggression, Pakistan was compelled to exercise its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Accordingly, in the early hours of 10 May 2025, we launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. 'Our response was measured, proportionate, and strictly targeted military installations. Pakistan's decisive success in neutralising Indian fighter jets, drones, and military targets is now an undeniable and widely recognized fact—one that cannot be obscured by misinformation or propaganda,' Ambassador Shafqat remarked. He emphasised the objective of our action was clear: to demonstrate Pakistan's resolve, capability, and inherent right to defend its territory and people. Pakistan's effective counter strikes have reinforced the credibility of its deterrence and dispelled any illusions of India's conventional superiority or its ambitions to impose hegemony in the region. While India propagates the notion of establishing a 'new normal' in bilateral relations, our restrained response has reaffirmed that the only acceptable norm is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Let me clarify, FO spokesperson said the ceasefire was achieved through facilitation of several friendly nations. Against this backdrop, India's portrayal of Pakistan as acting out of 'despair and frustration' is entirely baseless. The facts speak for themselves. To a query, he asserted debating the venue for talks at this stage is premature. The Directors General of Military Operations of Pakistan and India have maintained periodic contact since 10 May 2025. Both sides have agreed on a structured mechanism for phased de-escalation. At a time when the international community is actively promoting regional peace and stability, India's rhetoric reflects a persistent tendency to distort facts, justify aggression, and cast unwarranted aspersions on Pakistan's nuclear assets. In contrast, Pakistan, as a responsible state, remains committed to the ceasefire and to taking necessary steps toward de-escalation and regional stability. 'Our commitment to peace must never be mistaken for weakness. Any future aggression will also be met with full resolve. We hope India will prioritise regional stability and the well-being of its citizens over narrow, politically motivated jingoism,' he further pointed out. He added Pakistan firmly believes in peaceful coexistence, urging India to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy over conflict and confrontation. He has repeated Pakistan support for China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, following Beijing's reaffirmation of its position on Zangnan, also known as Arunachal Pradesh. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India's reckless conduct has brought neighbours ‘closer to major conflict': FO
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that it is most unfortunate that India's reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict. India's jingoism and war hysteria should be a source of serious concern for the world, he added. The spokesperson also dismissed the India's assertion that Pakistan escalated the situation through the Pahalgam Attack of 22 April 2025, terming it as totally absurd. 'Till date, India has not been able to produce any credible and verifiable evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the attack'. During a weekly media briefing on Friday, the FO spokesperson was responding to the allegations levelled by foreign secretary of India, who made a number of accusations against Pakistan in a special press briefing on Thursday. 'It is India that has escalated the situation by violating Pakistan's sovereignty and killing civilians,' he said, adding the Pakistani forces did not attack Pahalgam but the Indian forces did attack multiple locations in Pakistan. India-Pakistan Question: UNSC calls for dialogue to avoid military confrontation Accordingly, Ambassador Shafqat announced Pakistan reserves the right to take all appropriate measures in its self-defence, as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Pakistan unequivocally condemns these illegal acts. The Indian actions are a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and established norms governing the inter-state relations. 'We all are aware of the recent tensions in Pakistan-India relations. India has been violating Pakistan's sovereignty since 7 May 2025. Condemnably, the Indian strikes against Pakistan have endangered the regional peace and stability.' The international community should hold India accountable for its irresponsible, unlawful and belligerent conduct, he asserted. To the contrary, the acts of aggression committed by India's armed forces had the approval and support of its entire government. On 26 April 2025, the Prime Minister of Pakistan proposed a transparent and independent probe into Pahalgam Attack through neutral investigators. However, India chose the path of belligerence and aggression. 'We are amazed to see the importance that the Indian Government attaches to the anonymous and dubious social media posts, upon which it has built the case for The Resistance Front's involvement in the Pahalgam Attack. Can any country in the world be allowed to attack another country on the basis of a few social media posts? India is attempting to act as a judge, jury and executioner.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
