Pakistan says Afghan territory continues to serve as a staging ground for cross-border terrorism, warning that armed groups operating from across the frontier are sustaining a persistent security threat despite repeated concerns raised with Kabul.
During the weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is currently on a visit to the European Union, where he attended the Fourth European Union Indo Pacific Forum and held meetings with European Union officials.
According to the spokesperson, Ishaq Dar also met the Foreign Minister of Hungary. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding regarding scholarships for students in Hungary. In addition, Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Slovenia, and the Netherlands.
He said that before travelling to the European Union, Ishaq Dar visited Moscow from November 17 to 18, where he participated in the SCO Heads of Government meeting. During the visit, he also met the Russian President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister. He discussed Afghanistan and regional issues during the SCO meeting. The summit later issued a joint declaration on economic cooperation.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan strongly condemns the aggression of Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and the desecration of Al Aqsa Mosque. He said a large number of arrests have taken place in India after the Red Fort bombings, adding that most of those detained belong to Indian occupied Kashmir. He said India is continually attempting to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory. Pakistan calls on the international community, the United Nations, and global forums to take notice of the human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
Responding to the death sentence awarded to Haseena Wajid, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that it is an internal matter of Bangladesh. He said Bangladesh has its own constitution and its own legal system.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan’s policy regarding the border closure and trade with Afghanistan remains in place. He said the reason is the Afghan Taliban, who are supporting terrorists. He urged the Taliban to prevent those Afghan citizens who are involved in terrorism inside Pakistan.
He said Pakistan has suspended trade with Afghanistan because of the support for terrorists coming from the Afghan side. Afghan territory is being continuously used for terrorism against Pakistan. Afghan nationals are carrying out repeated attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan welcomes the statement regarding the Turkish President’s mediation initiative. He said the visit of the Turkish mediation delegation was delayed because of the foreign travel schedule of the Turkish Vice President. He said many countries have spoken about the need for Pakistan Afghanistan mediation.
He said Pakistan considers the comments by the United States President regarding the Indian Prime Minister and war as credible. He said the recent United States Congress report is a research based document prepared from open sources. He said Pakistan’s embassy is open in Afghanistan and the Afghan embassy remains open in Pakistan. Communication channels between the two missions are functioning.
The spokesperson said Pakistan continues to appreciate the role of the United States President. He said Pakistan’s vote in favour of the United States resolution on Gaza reflects its position. China, he added, explained its own position on abstaining from the vote. Pakistan and China share common points in their respective positions on the matter.
