Pakistan ready to assist US in California shooting case: Nisar
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Sunday that the California shooting incident was a deplorable act.
Addressing a press conference, he said the government and his ministry had already condemned the incident in which 14 people were gunned down.
“Any sane Pakistani or a Muslim who understands the spirit of Islam condemns not only this incident but all negative moves which bring bad name to Muslims,” he said, adding that Muslims were seen with suspicion because of such incidents and they became victims of extremists in the West.
He said Islamophobia was being spread and attempts were being made to create an impression that whatever terrorists and extremists did was Islam. Islam is a religion which preaches peace and tolerance. Although there is room for revenge in Islam, preference is given to forgiveness.
Chaudhry Nisar said the government was ready to provide legal assistance to the United States in the case and fully cooperate under the international law.
According to information gathered so far, he said, the woman’s family had moved to Saudi Arabia some 25 years ago. He was referring to Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani woman accused along with her husband of carrying out the massacre in California. Her family was from Dera Ghazi Khan and some of its members were also settled in the United Kingdom, he added.
He said it was inappropriate to hold a particular sect, religion or country responsible for the act of an individual. “You cannot blame 1.5 million Muslims for this act.”
The minister noted that the US had adopted a responsible attitude. He dismissed as baseless reports about the meeting of a US delegation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in London in connection with the shooting incident. The issue did not come up under discussion during the prime minister’s stay in the UK. “There are channels for intelligence sharing which include the foreign and interior ministries,” he said.
APP adds: In a statement, the foreign ministry said Pakistan condemned the “abhorrent and tragic” shooting incident in San Bernardino, California, in the strongest possible terms.
“We offer sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims in this act of terrorism. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with those who have been injured in the incident. We sincerely wish them an early recovery from their physical and mental trauma,” it said.
The ministry said the loss of precious lives in the incident was irreversible and unfortunate and expressed the hope that investigations would lead the US authorities to bring the perpetrators and abettors of this act to justice.
The statement said the people of Pakistan, being worst victims of terrorism over the years, shared the grief of the people of the United States and stood by them in their pain and suffering.
Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2015