Pak envoy Abdul Basit rubbishes Indian surgical strikes' claims

Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has once again dismissed India's claim of conducting surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 29.

The dawn quoted Basit saying as, "As far as the government of Pakistan is concerned, there was no surgical strike whatsoever, otherwise they would have responded immediately."

Rubbishing the claim of 'video evidence' of the strike during the interview to a magazine, he said, "There can't be any video... Because the surgical strike did not take place."

While answering to a question about investigation into the Uri terror attack, Basit replied, "We would like to get out of this blame game, so why not get an international investigation into this incident?"

The Pakistan High Commissioner said, "You did not leave any room for cooperation. When you start blaming Pakistan and terming us as a terrorist state, you are closing all the doors for cooperation."

He said that if India considers that Pakistan has done it then the best way forward is to have an international probe.

Responding to a question on Balochistan, he said, "The people of Balochistan are as patriotic as people in other parts of Pakistan. But we do have worries because there is a larger question of a foreign agenda of destabilising Pakistan," he added.

Terming the postponement of the SAARC summit a "collective loss" for all countries involved, the High Commissioner said, "We are confident that Pakistan will host the 19th summit - if not this year, then sometime next year."

In the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian Army soldiers were martyred, India conducted surgical strikes on the intervening night of September 28 and 29 at the terror launch pads across the LoC.