*ISLAMABAD: **Pakistan Foreign Office responds over Indian media report ofarrested Pakistani Col Habib Zahir swap with RAW agent Kulbhushan Jhadav.*
*Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr. Mohammad Faisal on Wednesday said thatinvolvement of hostile agencies could not be ruled out in abduction ofLieutenant Colonel (retd) Muhammad Habib Zahir in Nepal.*
In a statement issued by the ministry, Dr Faisal said, “The governmentcontinues to make all out efforts to locate him and shall not rest until heis home.”
Responding to a media query, regarding Indian media reports claiming thatCol. Habib is in Indian custody and speculations about a swap withCommander Jadhav, the spokesperson said that Habib Zahir was a retiredPakistani officer who went missing in Nepal, where he had gone for a jobinterview in April 2017.
The spokesperson said that according to Zahir’s family, he had posted hisCV on LinkedIn and UN website for a job. In response, he received a calland email from Mr. Mark stating that he had been shortlisted for the job ofVice President, read the statement.
He was asked to visit Kathmandu, Nepal for which he was sent air-ticket forLahore-Oman-Kathmandu by Oman Airlines for an interview on 6 April 2017.
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On 6 April 2017, he had messaged his wife from his cellphone intimatingthat he had landed safely at Lumbini after which his mobile appearedswitched off and his family lost contact with him, said the spokesperson.
Dr Faisal said that investigations revealed that the UK cell number of Mr.Mark was fake and actually is an internet/computer generated number.
The website that he was contacted from was found to be operated from Indiaand was subsequently taken down, the spokesperson said and added that thegovernment of Nepal constituted a special team to look into hisdisappearance but there has not been any progress in the matter so far.
The spokesperson said, “In view of his disappearance from Lumbini, which is5 kilometers from the Indian border and the involvement of Indiannationals, Pakistan also repeatedly requested the government of India toassist in locating him. However, no positive response has been receivedfrom the Indian side.”
