ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected New Delhi’s allegation that a drone flew over the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, calling it a “preposterous” claim.
“We have seen the Indian MEA’s [Ministry of External Affairs’] statement and reports in certain sections of the Indian media alleging a drone flying over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad,” said the foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. “These preposterous claims have no basis in facts and no proof whatsoever has been shared with Pakistan to substantiate these allegations.”
He added that Pakistan rejected such “patently false allegations” and considered them to be part of New Delhi’s diversionary tactic to remove international attention from people’s struggle for the right of self-determination in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“Curiously, this propaganda campaign by India is also happening at a time when evidence so far collected in the Lahore blast of 23 June is increasingly pointing to external forces with a history of perpetrating state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan,” he maintained.
India’s external affairs ministry had earlier made a claim that a drone flew over its diplomatic mission in Islamabad last month, adding it had officially taken up the issue with Pakistan and expected its officials to investigate the matter to prevent such incidents from happening again.
A few days ago, Indian officials had also claimed that Pakistan was involved in an alleged drone attack on an air force facility in Indian administered Kashmir.
The foreign office denied that claim as well, saying that the Indian authorities were once again playing the “Pakistan card” for domestic political consumption.
Pakistan denies drone flight over Indian High Commission
https://arab.news/4gue2
Pakistan denies drone flight over Indian High Commission
- India’s External Affairs Ministry recently claimed such an incident in Islamabad, saying it had officially taken up the matter with Pakistani authorities
- Pakistan says New Delhi’s ‘propaganda campaign’ coincided with an investigation in a recent explosion in Lahore in which evidence pointed at India’s possible involvement
Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban
- Trump’s administration is suspending immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries
- The pause will begin on January 21, a State Department spokesperson said this week
Pakistani immigration agents and members of the public expressed concern to US immigration ban on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
“It is a matter of concern,” said travel and immigration agent, Mohammad Yaseen, in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.
“All these people who were waiting for a long time for their visas to be issued, they also had an appointment date, their visas would be suspended. They will be affected by this news and this ban,” he added.
A local resident and banker, Amar Ali, said the ban will economically dent Pakistan because many Pakistanis earn and send dollars back home which boosts its economy.
Another local resident, Anwer Farooqui, urged President Trump to reconsider this decision and keep Pakistan, which is a very reliable friend of the United States, at the same level.
The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.
The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.
