Moeed Yusuf Knaps India

On October 14, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr Moeed Yusuf, gave an interview to noted Indian journalist Karan Thapar for the media outlet The Wire. In this conversation, Dr Yusuf presented Pakistan’s stance on issues with India in a powerful and an elaborate manner. Following are some important excerpts from his interview:

Kashmir Issue

Pakistan stood firmly for peace in the region through dialogue, but New Delhi’s draconian policies towards Kashmiris had made talks impossible.

New Delhi must release all political prisoners in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), lift the military siege, reverse the domicile bill and stop all human rights violations against Kashmiris before any dialogue could begin.

Even pro-India Kashmiri politicians have publicly admitted that no one in IIOJK was willing to live under Indian occupation anymore.

Pakistan considers Kashmiris the principal party to the dispute and their aspirations should be addressed in any dialogue.

Pakistan stands by UNSC resolutions as the way forward for resolving the dispute and fulfilling the aspirations of over eight million Kashmiris. Indian propaganda would not shake Pakistan from its principled stance on Kashmir.

Dr Yusuf added that Kashmiris can’t bear the thought of being Indian. “Kashmiri Hindustan se nafrat karte hain… The day India recognises that only the wishes of people of Kashmir matter, this issue can be resolved.”

Indian Terrorism in Pakistan

India was involved in terrorist attacks on Chinese Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan Stock Exchange building, a five-star hotel in Gwadar and Peshawar APS. Islamabad has solid proof of New Delhi’s involvement in these four attacks and links of India with terrorism. Pakistan knew the names and ranks of officers in touch with terrorists’ leaders and would soon reveal Indian activities to the world through a detailed dossier based on lengthy investigations.

Indian intelligence handlers based in Afghanistan had directed the attacks on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, PC Hotel in Gwadar and the PSX in the last two years. BLA terrorists were getting treatment in a New Delhi hospital. Aslam, alias Achhu, who was involved in the terror attack on the Chinese Consulate, had been treated in a New Delhi hospital, which amply proves India’s involvement in terrorism.

India has recently spent a million dollars on the merger of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and four other terrorist groups in Afghanistan under the supervision of a RAW official.

The mastermind of the APS attack was in contact with the Indian Consulate and he also had the phone number of his handler. We have solid evidence of India’s involvement in the attack in which 144 innocent children were massacred.

Indian Embassy in Kabul was using think-tanks there as a front to funnel money for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan.

Kulbhushan Jadhav

International Court of Justice (ICJ) has given three binding observations, including review or reconsideration of conviction, halt to death penalty and consular access to him.

Allegation that Kulbhushan is not being given unimpeded and unconditional consular access are wrong. Pakistan gave consular access to Kulbhusan twice as per ICJ observation and for the third time the Indian agent said he wanted to file a mercy petition against his conviction.

Pakistan-India Dialogue

India had expressed a “desire for conversation” but Pakistan’s agreement to talks would be conditional. The conditions include the immediate release of occupied Kashmir’s political prisoners, lifting of the heavy military siege from the territory, reversal of New Delhi’s decision to strip the region of its special status, ending human rights violations in the valley and a stop to India’s state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistan’s 5th province

On Gilgit-Baltistan issue, Dr Yusuf said, “No decision has been made” regarding granting GB a provincial status. The matter is the subject of “public debate”.

The people of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) themselves initiated a public debate on making GB the fifth province of Pakistan because they want to become an integral part of Pakistan but the government has so far taken no decision on it.

Whatever decision is taken, it would not be against UN charter, UN Security Council’s resolutions or Simla Agreement.