Islamabad, Dec 11: Pakistan Monday said India’s politicians should not drag the country into its domestic politics during campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls.
“India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday claimed at an election rally that there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls.
Modi also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Modi alleged that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had held a meeting at his house which was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a former Indian Vice-President, Pakistan’s high commissioner in India, and a former Pakistani foreign minister.
“On one hand, Pakistan Army’s former DG is interfering in Gujarat’s election, and on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don’t you think such events raise doubts?” the Prime Minister had said while addressing a poll rally in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the Congress hit back at Modi, saying the real colluder with Pakistan is the BJP, whose government gave Pakistani intelligence officials access to the country’s top air force base in Pathankot after a terror attack there.
“If he wants to fight the Gujarat elections in Pakistan, I want to ask who who invited people from the (Pakistani intelligence agency) ISI to come to one of India’s most important defence bases in Pathankot,” asked Congress spokesman RS Surjewala.
‘Why did Modi invite ISI men to Pathankot base?’, asks Congress, after being accused of collusion with Pakistan
He was referring to Pakistan’s joint investigation team – including an official from ISI – being given access to the Pathankot airbase in March 2016. The access was purportedly to help Pakistan complete its investigation into the Pathankot terror attack which took place in January last year. This access was allowed even though Islamabad hadn’t at the time responded to India’s formal request for judicial assistance.
The Congress also wondered Sunday “who really has Pakistan love” considering the PM dashed off to that country on an unplanned visit, on an event in then PM Nawaz Sharif’s family.
“After terror attacks in Udhampur (August 2015) and Gurdaspur (July 2015), who went like the proverbial uninvited guest to Pakistan to attend the wedding of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s granddaughter,” asked Surjewala, referring the PM’s shock Christmas 2015 trip to Lahore. (PTI)
