A spokesman of ISPR has strongly refuted the contents of a news report appearing on BBC’s Website dated 28 April, which gives an impression that Pakistani Peacekeepers were involved in gold smuggling or rearming the local rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005. The fact remains that before the report was published by BBC, UN had already ordered an investigation into the allegations levelled against Pakistani Contingent which was then performing peacekeeping duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo under UN umbrella. Findings of the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Service (OIOS) clearly exonerate Pakistani Peacekeeping Troops in Congo from allegations of weapon and gold smuggling. It may be mentioned here that UN has a strong system of investigating such reports and in this particular case UN investigation continued for more than one year and after having thoroughly investigated the case exonerated Pakistani Troops for their involvement in weapons and gold smuggling.

The spokesman said that ISPR has also denied on a number of occasions in the past such accusations levelled in the BBC report as the contents of the report had unsubstantiated allegations and were malicious, concocted and as a negative propaganda against Pakistani Troops. Initiating a fresh effort shows a biased attitude of BBC and, therefore, we reserve the right to reject the allegations both at National and International levels, the spokesman concluded.

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