Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday dismissed the Indian claim that the handing over of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was a result of diplomatic pressure. In an interview to a private media outlet, Qureshi asserted that the “release of Indian pilot was purely a peace gesture by Pakistan and that there was neither any compulsion nor pressure upon the government to do so”. “Pakistan conveyed a message that it does not want to escalate the tension,” he said while adding that “we do not want to risk the regional stability for petty political benefits”. “We will not allow any militant organization or group to promote terrorism,” he asserted while adding that the state will take action against anyone who was found involved in any such activity. Qureshi further assured that “Pakistan will take action against the banned militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), if [India] shares conclusive evidence against it”.

Source: Pakistan Today March 02, 2019 05:37 UTC