Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to defend Pakistan against alleged foreign attempts aimed at destabilizing the country, Press TV reports.
The Pakistani military said in a statement on Saturday that Premier Sharif, during a high-level meeting with senior intelligence officials in the capital, Islamabad, voiced concerns over the alleged involvement of foreign intelligence agencies in destabilizing the country.
Sharif said that all possible measures will be taken to counter “anti-Pakistan” acts.
The premier also expressed worries about the recent statements made by the Indian leadership.
“PM expressed serious concern on recent statements by the Indian political leadership. We would take all possible measures to counter any anti-Pakistan acts,” Army spokesman Asim Bajwa said.
Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier said that India would use terrorism to counter terrorism from other countries.
Reacting to the statement, adviser to Premier Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Parrikar’s statement confirms Pakistan’s concerns that India is involved in terrorism in Pakistan.
Early on Saturday, Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhtar briefed the prime minister and others senior officials “on external and internal security.”
The intelligence chief also briefed them about the security operations that led to foiling of several terrorist attacks and helped to dismantle militant networks.
The meeting comes a day after a group of heavily armed militants shot dead at least 21 passengers and injured several others after taking them hostage from two buses in the troubled southwestern Pakistan.
Islamabad has long accused India of fueling militancy in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan Province.
Pakistan’s army has recently accused Indian intelligence of “whipping up terrorism” in Pakistan, blaming India for fomenting unrest in the country.
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist and militant attacks in various parts of the country over the past months.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.
JR/HJL/HMV