Pakistan voices 'serious concern' over reports about Pegasus spyware
Pakistan on Friday voiced "serious concern"
over media reports about India allegedly eavesdropping on foreigners, including
Prime Minister Imran Khan, using Israeli spyware Pegasus and urged the UN to
thoroughly investigate the matter.
According to reports, Khan was a potential target of the
Israeli-made Pegasus spyware programme by clients of the NSO Group
cyberespionage firm.
The Foreign Office (FO) through a statement responded to the media
queries related to India's alleged use of the Israeli spyware.
We have noted with serious concern recent international media
reports exposing Indian government's organised spying operations against its
own citizens, foreigners as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan, using an Israeli
origin spyware, the FO said.
The statement also condemned what it called "India's
state-sponsored, continuing and widespread surveillance and spying operations
in clear breach of global norms of responsible state behaviour.
We are closely following these revelations and will bring the
Indian abuses to the attention of appropriate global platforms, said the FO.
Pakistan also
called on the relevant UN bodies to thoroughly investigate the matter, "bring
the facts to light, and hold the Indian perpetrators to account".
India on Monday categorically rejected allegations linked to the
Pegasus snooping row, saying attempts were being made to "malign"
Indian democracy.
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted that
illegal surveillance was not possible with checks and balances in the country's
laws.
"The press reports of 18th July 2021 also appear to be an
attempt to malign the Indian democracy and its well-established
institutions," Vaishnaw said in Parliament
India, the minister said, has an "established protocol when it comes to
surveillance... any form of illegal surveillance is not possible with the
checks and balances in our laws and our robust institutions."
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