No evidence that India abducted retired Colonel says Pak minister

Colonel Habib disappeared near Nepal’s border with India on April 6.

A Pakistan minister has countered the narrative of the Army and said that there is no evidence to suggest that their retired Colonel was abducted by India. The ICJ and the UN cannot be approached on this issue as there is no evidence to suggest that India was behind the abduction of the retired Pakistan colonel, Pakistan minister. Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch told the parliament.

Pakistan had accused India of behind the abduction of Lt Col Muhammad Habib Zahir who had gone missing recently. The Indian Intelligence agencies were accused of luring the retired Colonel with a job and later abducting him.

Colonel Habib disappeared near Nepal's border with India on April 6 where he had apparently gone for a job interview. His disappearance from Nepal has been widely termed by Pakistani media as a revenge by India to the death sentence given by a Pakistani military court to Kulbhshan Jadhav.

"No final report suggesting that the Indian intelligence agency or the Indian government was involved is available with the Foreign Office or the government," the Dawn newspaper quoted him as saying.

When asked by the Senate Chairman if the Foreign office was discharging India of the kidnapping charges, Baloch said, "We are hundred per cent sure that Indian intelligence agency RAW is behind the kidnapping but the evidence to this effect is not final." He also said that the kidnapping of Col Habib could have a link with the conviction of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, but stressed that material was required to prove the matter legally.

OneIndia News