ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua summoned British High Commissioner in Pa
kistan Thomas Drew on Friday over slogans displayed on London cabs “that directly attack Pa
kistan’s territorial integrity and sover
eignty.”
According to a statement released by the Foreign Office, “the high commissioner was informed that Pa
kistan, in line with the United Nat
ions Charter, rejects act
ions and advertisements with malicious content that impinge on our sover
eignty and territorial integrity.”
It said that the “issue was also being raised with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by our High Commissioner in London.”
“Pa
kistan is aware of the intent
ions of such sinister and malicious campaigns, which should not be allowed on the soil of a friendly country,” the FO statement rea
d.
According to media reports, posters reading “Free Balochistan” slogans appeared on vehicles in London.
In September this year, Pa
kistan had summoned Swiss ambassador over the public display of anti-Pa
kistan posters by a group in Switzerlan
d.
According to a Foreign Office statement at that time, a strong protest had been lodged with the ambassador over Swiss authorities permitting the use of its territory for propaganda by elements linked with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a ‘terrorist organisation perpetrating terrorism and violence in Pa
kistan’.
It was also underlined that the ‘Free Baluchistan’ posters in Geneva had been sponsored by a group linked with the BLA, which had been proscribed by Pa
kistan as well as some other countries for its violent act
ions in the province. “Any notion of ‘Free Baluchistan’ is a flagrant attack on [the] sover
eignty and territorial integrity of Pa
kistan,” Pa
kistan’s permanent representative to UN had written to the Swiss authorities.
Later, posters and advertisements calling for the liberation of Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura from Indian tyranny had also popped up in different parts of Geneva.
British High Commissioner Thomas Drew later called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Friday.
During the meeting matters of mutual interest and regional security were discussed, a statement issued here by Inter-Services Public Relat
ions (ISPR) said.
Reacting to the malicious anti-Pa
kistan campaign, Defense Analyst Lt Gen (r) Ghulam Mustafa said, “Display of anti-Pa
kistan slogans on London cabs is a propaganda against Pa
kistan in order to keep us under pressure. Pa
kistan has rendered great sacrifices against terrorism. All the elements involved in the action are being funded by India. Pa
kistan will never tolerate any action which is against the sover
eignty and integrity of Pa
kistan.” T
he UK government being the ally of Pa
kistan in war against terror must take serious notice of anti-Pa
kistan propaganda, he demanded. International relation expert Dr Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema said, “Our Foreign Office must strongly protest to t
he UK government against anti-Pa
kistan slogans displayed on London cabs. These cabs drivers must be Indians launched by Indian government as part of their anti-Pa
kistan campaign.”
He demanded that UK being a neutral country must investigate the matter “otherwise it will be clear that this campaign was launched in collusion with t
he UK government.”
Published in Daily Times, November 4th 2017.