New Delhi: While denying that the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide bombing on Indian troops last month, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made an admission that may come back to haunt his government: that it is in touch with the leadership of the Jaish, a banned group.
In an interview to the BBC, Qureshi said “they have not” claimed responsibility for Pulwama, “there is confusion on that… the leadership when contacted, said no.”
The BBC reporter was quick to pick up on this point:
BBC: The leadership’s been contacted by who, sir?
Qureshi: By, uh, you, people over here, they say, we, uh, they deny it, they deny that. That’s the confusion.
BBC: So, who’s contacted the leadership of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan?
Qureshi: There are people, there are people who are known to them
BBC: And they’ve said we weren’t responsible?
Qureshi: They, um, claim no responsibility.
India on Wednesday handed over to Pakistan a dossier on “specific details” of the JeM’s involvement in the Pulwama terror attack on the Central Reserve Police Force as well as the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in that country.
“India submitted its dossier…, if India wants to conduct talks on this, then we are ready for it,” Qureshi said. He said that there is a new government with a new mindset and a new approach in Pakistan, and its policies are very clear.
“We will not allow Pakistani soil to be used by any group or any organisation for terrorist activities against any state, including India,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by the BBC.
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Qureshi’s remarks came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the February 14 terror attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Pulwama that left 40 CRPF personnel dead. The JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a separate interview to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Qureshi earlier admitted that JeM chief Masood Azhar is in Pakistan and is “very unwell”, but said the government can act against him only if India presents “solid” and “inalienable” evidence that can stand in a court of law.
“He is in Pakistan, according to my information. He is unwell to the extent that he can’t leave his house, because he’s really unwell,” Qureshi said.
His remarks came days after the powerful UN Security Council comprising 15 nations, including Pakistan’s key ally China, named JeM in a statement condemning in the “strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly” terror attack perpetrated by the terror group in Pulwama and stressed on the need to hold organisers and financiers of such “reprehensible acts” accountable and bring them to justice.
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In his interview to the British broadcaster, Qureshi said that the Punjab province government has taken over the “so-called nerve centre” of the JeM in Bahawalpur.
He was referring to the provincial government’s move to take over control of a campus comprising Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, 400 km from Lahore, last month.
“India should give actionable evidence so a case can be prepared on those grounds,” he said, adding that Pakistani courts are autonomous, and evidence is needed to pursue a case.
“We had stated that India should give us actionable evidence so we could act, we had assured India that we would cooperate,” he asserted.
Elaborating on the prevailing situation, Qureshi said Pakistan’s new government has brought a new approach, conflicts can only be resolved through dialogue.
He said that the “situation is critical still, both countries’ armed forces are still on high alert”.
“We are nuclear-armed neighbours, can we afford a war? This is suicide,” he said.
He said that at this point of time, Islamabad want to bring the situation under control, adding that, “a section of the Indian media is behaving in very irresponsible manner by engaging in warmongering.”
Qureshi made the comments after Pakistan released captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a “peace gesture”.
Varthaman, who had been in Pakistan’s custody since Wednesday, was released at the Wagah border on Friday.
(With PTI inputs)