Pakistan asks Afghanistan to hand over terrorist Aslam Farooqi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday asked Afghanistan to hand over Aslam Farooqi, the leader of the terrorist outfit Daesh's splinter group, Khorasan Province (ISKP), "for further investigations".

Pakistan summoned the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan at the foreign office where he was "conveyed Pakistan’s views with regard to the arrest of ISIS-K leader, Aslam Farooqi, by the Afghan authorities on 5 April 2020". 

"It was emphasized that Pakistan had been expressing its concerns over the activities of this group, which were clearly detrimental to Pakistan," a statement by the foreign office read. 

"Pakistan’s position in this regard was being regularly shared with the Government of Afghanistan and others concerned.

"It was underscored to the Ambassador that since Aslam Farooqi was involved in anti-Pakistan activities in Afghanistan, he should be handed-over to Pakistan for further investigations," it read further.

Islamabad further emphasised that both sides should coordinate their measures in the fight against terrorism through the established mechanisms.

India's 'mischievous and condemnable' attacks

Back on Tuesday, Pakistan had rejected Indian reports linking Islamabad to last month's terrorist attack at a Gurdwara in Afghan capital, Kabul, calling the attempt "highly mischievous and condemnable".

"We reject the officially-inspired reports appearing in the Indian media seeking to link Pakistan with the terrorist attack on a Gurdawara in Kabul on 25 March 2020," a spokesperson for the Foreign Office had said, adding that the country had "already strongly condemned the dastardly terrorist attack, in which so many precious lives were lost".

Also read: Pakistan rejects Indian reports linking Islamabad to Kabul Gurdwara attack

At least 25 people had died and eight wounded when unidentified assailants and suicide bombers attacked a Sikh religious complex in Kabul. The Afghan government said all attackers had been killed by the security forces but a Taliban spokesperson denied responsibility for the attack in a message on Twitter.

Pakistan had demanded the perpetrators be brought to justice, according to the Foreign Office. "As a country that has suffered the most from and has fought resolutely against the scourge of terrorism, including State-sponsored terrorism emanating from across the border, Pakistan firmly believes that such despicable terrorist acts have no political, religious or moral justification," the spokesperson had added.

'Desperate attempts'

Pakistan had also stressed that India's bid to continuously slander Islamabad was aimed at diverting attention from its forces' violence and aggression in occupied Kashmir, which has been under a curfew, as well as a communications and media blackout since August 5, 2019, when its special status was revoked.

"As for the motivated reports in the Indian media, these are patently designed to malign Pakistan. India’s overall smear campaign against Pakistan is well-known," the statement had read.

"Seeking to implicate Pakistan in this terrorist attack is part of the desperate attempts India is making to divert attention from its own unacceptable actions and state-terrorism in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K).

"We are confident that such Indian ploys will not succeed in misleading the world community," it had added.