Pakistan accuses India of 'devious games' in Afghanistan

Pakistan today accused India of playing "devious games" in Afghanistan and using the country's soil to "sabotage" Islamabad's relations with Kabul.

Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria also accused India of escalating tension at the LoC and the Working Boundary in order to divert international community’s attention from the human rights situation in Kashmir.

"India is playing a devious game in Afghanistan. India is using Afghan soil against Pakistan and also to sabotage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations," he said at the weekly press briefing.

He said Pakistan has constantly raised its concern on the issue at all the related forums.

Zakaria alleged that India was escalating tension at the LoC and the Working Boundary to divert international community’s attention away from Kashmir.

"While we have no desire to escalate the situation, Pakistani armed forces would respond effectively to any unprovoked violations. We have always exercised restraint.

"The Indian belligerence is a threat to regional peace and security. We have cautioned India from making any strategic miscalculation. It appears that India is seeking conflict with Pakistan," he warned.

He said Pakistan calls upon the UN Security Council and Human Rights organisations to call India to account for the human rights violations in Kashmir.

"We have strongly taken up the issue of grave human rights violations in Kashmir at the Council of Human Rights in Geneva at the 35th Session, yesterday," he said.

About the 2007 Samjhauta train blast, he said that there was a pledge made by India at the highest political level that they would share the findings of the investigations.

"Unfortunately, no such thing ever materialised. On the contrary, we have noted with deep concern that over the years, Indian Government has employed systematic strategies to exonerate those who had confessed their involvement, and those who were identified in those confessional statements to be involved in Samjhauta Express terrorist attack," he said.

He said Pakistan believes that all countries have an important and positive role to play to establish peace in the region and resolve disputes through peaceful means.

He said Pakistan achieved a significant milestone as it was joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during Astana Summit.

Regarding a meeting between leaders of Pakistan and India on the sidelines of SCO Summit, Zakraia said that "we have not received any request from the Indian side for a meeting on the sidelines."