The Foreign Office spokesperson has reiterated that India has been involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan, a day after the country concluded the rescue operation following the Jaffar Express tragedy in Balochistan’s Mach.

“There is no shift in our policy. And again, the facts have not changed,” FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said while responding to a query during the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.

He was asked about the Jaffar Express event. The reporter asked that in the past, the Pakistan security agencies as well as the Pakistan Foreign Office, whenever there is an incident or event from banned terrorist organisation in Balochistan. The reporter asked, “We always say that India and RAW are behind these attacks, but for the first time, in the BLA context, we are using Afghanistan. So, is there a policy shift in Pakistan foreign policy? or India is using Afghan soil against Pakistan? What is the reality?”

In response, the FO spokesperson clarified that there was no shift in the policy.

“What I was referring to was, in this particular incident, we have evidence of calls being traced to Afghanistan. This is what I said.”

In response to another question, the FO spokesperson said: “Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism that is planned, orchestrated and sponsored by forces who are operating outside our borders.”

He added that the country was facing many forces against peace “who do not want to see Pakistan reap the dividends of its unprecedented and sincere efforts in counter-terrorism and in building a peaceful region.”

Khan went on to add that the terrorist attack against Jaffar Express near Sibi Balochistan “was also orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from abroad.”

He reiterated his claims that terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident.

“Pakistan has repeatedly asked the interim Afghan government to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like BLA for their attacks against Pakistan. We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism to justice.”

Many countries, such as the US, Iran and China, condemned the attack.

The briefing also covered Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Jeddah, where he attended a meeting focused on Palestine, presenting Pakistan’s stance to the global community.

Khan condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid organisations, calling them violations of humanitarian principles. He also condemned abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, urging India to cease its repression of the Kashmiri people.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be in Quetta today (Thursday) to discuss the security situation, he added.

He pointed out that “forces behind terrorism” in Pakistan aim to undermine development and Chinese investment, particularly concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

The premier reaffirmed that Pakistan would not allow its development plans to be hindered.

On March 13, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that all terrorists involved in the Jaffar Express attack had been eliminated, and all hostages safely rescued.