The Foreign Office on Friday rejected speculations—particularly within Indian media—alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the recent unrest in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wazed as prime minister and saw her flee the country.
“Pakistan rejects all such statements,” spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told a weekly press briefing. “Such statements depict India’s disturbing obsession with Pakistan. Indian political leaders and their media have a habit of blaming Pakistan for their failures in domestic and foreign policy,” she added in response to a question on allegations being spread on Indian media.
“Pakistan has expressed its strong support for the people of Bangladesh and solidarity with them as they continue to work towards a harmonious future,” continued Baloch, adding Islamabad has positive ties with Dhaka that have continued to grow in recent years.
“With regards to the recent developments in Bangladesh, we have issued a statement. The government and people of Pakistan have expressed their support and solidarity with the people of Bangladesh,” she said. “We sincerely hope for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy. We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future,” she added.
The spokesperson noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had extended his felicitations to Muhammad Yunus, who has been appointed the chief adviser of the new interim setup in Bangladesh, and wished him success. She recalled the prime minister had also expressed the desire to work with Yunus to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the days ahead.
On the issue of Pakistani students in Bangladesh, Baloch said around 100 were still in the country. “Our high commission remains in contact with the students. It is our assessment that the situation of security is improving, and we will continue to ensure the safety of our students,” she said.
Middle East
To another question, the spokesperson said Pakistan would support all efforts required to prevent any further conflict in the Middle East, noting a recent meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation had held Israel responsible for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Recalling that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had expressed “unequivocal condemnation of Israeli brutalities and warmongering and its actions that have caused irreparable damage to the already fragile and volatile Middle East,” she said he had also called for preventing further escalation of tensions and violence in the region.
To a question on reports of Pakistan sending arms to Iran, she said these were “baseless” and propagated with malicious intent. “This is a critical time in the Middle East,” she said, urging all stakeholders to be wary of “fake news.”
U.S. and India
Referring to a proposed U.S.-India Defense Cooperation Act, recently introduced in the U.S. Congress, the spokesperson said Islamabad had “noticed some unwarranted references to Pakistan” in the bill and had “conveyed our concerns to the U.S. side.”
Emphasizing that Pakistan valued its close relationship with the U.S., she called for constructive engagement and dialogue based on sovereign equality, mutual respect and understanding and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs. “We also believe that deliberations of legislative bodies should contribute to promoting positive dynamics and bilateral ties and should be based on mutual respect and understanding. We hope that the U.S. Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-U.S. ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries,” she said.
The bill, introduced by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, proposes to “bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India.”