US should refrain from unfounded assertions, warns Pakistan

Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal said that Pakistan "contributed with both blood and treasure in the fight against terrorism."

Pakistan today termed as "baseless" the US' claims that it provides safe havens for terrorists and said that America should refrain from making "unfounded assertions".

Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal during a briefing said that Pakistan "contributed with both blood and treasure in the fight against terrorism."

"We reject baseless allegations of safe havens. We have repeatedly conveyed to the US leadership that it should refrain from making unfounded assertions," he said.

When asked about Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's remarks that the US has given Pakistan another chance to fight terrorist safe havens on its territory, Faisal said Pakistan made significant gains through its effective counter-terrorism operations.

The US has shared with Pakistan a list 20 terrorist groups like the LeT, JeM and HUM that Washington believes are operating from its soil to target India and Afghanistan,

Top on the list is the Haqqani network which, the US says has safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwestern Pakistan and uses them to launch attacks into Afghanistan.

Faisal said Afghanistan's soil was being used against Pakistan and his country raised concerns about presence of Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan, who perpetrated terrorism within Pakistan.

When asked about new Pakistani High Commissioner to India meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj two weeks ago and reports that Swaraj requested visa for Indian national Kulbhushan Jhadevs mother, the spokesperson said it was just a courtesy call, and no specific issue was raised during the meeting.

"Matters related to Kulbhushan Jhadev, who was caught while perpetrating terrorism, terror financing and subversive activities within Pakistan, are under consideration, he said.
However, he did not specify which "matters" were under consideration.

Jadhav was arrested by Pakistan in the restive Balochistan province last year. He has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.

When asked about the US' remarks that it wants to see de-escalation between Pakistan and India, Faisal said, We have welcomed these statements by the US officials since Pakistan has also been making consistent efforts to reach out to India with a view to lowering the temperatures.

"India, however, has repeatedly refused to engage bilaterally. It has resisted third country mediation, which indicates India's defiance to the peaceful means for dispute resolution, as envisaged in the UN Charter," he said.

"The Jammu and Kashmir issue has three parties, namely Pakistan, India and Kashmir. All three parties must hold a dialogue under the ambit of UNSC resolutions to resolve the issue in an amicable manner, he said.

Faisal alleged that the "growing extremism and intolerance in Indian society was visible to everyone".