- FO rejects Afghan FM’s claim terrorism is an internal issue.
- Kabul urged to prevent Afghan soil from aiding terror groups.
- FO reiterates Kashmir’s disputed status under UN resolutions.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Saturday conveyed its strong reservations to Kabul over elements in the India-Afghanistan joint statement issued in New Delhi, rejecting references to Jammu and Kashmir and assertion that terrorism is Pakistan’s internal problem.
“The joint statement is highly insensitive to the sacrifices and sentiments of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), who continue their just struggle for self-determination,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The Additional Foreign Secretary (West Asia & Afghanistan) also summoned Afghanistan’s ambassador to deliver Pakistan’s protest, convening that the mention of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India was a “clear violation” of relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the disputed region’s legal status, according to the FO statement.
The joint statement came as Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on a six-day visit to India after getting a temporary exemption on his travel ban by UN Security Council (UNSC) Committee. It was the first such trip to India by a Afghan Taliban leader since 2021.
India, a day earlier, upgraded ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, giving a boost to the diplomatically isolated group, by announcing it would reopen its embassy in Kabul that was shut after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
In the joint statement, both sides unequivocally condemned “all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries, underscoring the importance of promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust in the region.”
The FO, in today’s statement, said that Pakistan also strongly rejected FM Muttaqi’s assertion that terrorism is an internal issue of Pakistan.
Islamabad reiterated that it has shared credible evidence with Kabul on the presence of “Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan” elements operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan, with support from within Afghanistan.
“Deflecting responsibility for controlling terrorism towards Pakistan cannot absolve the Interim Afghan Government of its obligations to ensure peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its long-standing support for Afghanistan, the FO said Pakistan had hosted nearly four million Afghans for over four decades and continued issuing medical and study visas on humanitarian grounds.
It emphasised that with peace gradually returning to Afghanistan, unauthorised Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan should return to their homeland.
The statement added that Pakistan remained committed to promoting a peaceful, stable, and economically connected Afghanistan through trade, connectivity, and regional cooperation. However, Islamabad stressed that ensuring national security and preventing terrorist infiltration remained its top priority.
“Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government to play its due role by taking concrete measures to prevent its territory from being used by Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan against Pakistan,” it concluded.
Islamabad and Kabul are witnessing heightened tensions amid interim government’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups, operating from Afghan soil, in the backdrop of rising terror attacks in Pakistan.
The country has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan.
The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.
However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.
Islamabad’s reservations have also been confirmed by a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has revealed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP, with the former providing logistical, operational, and financial support to the latter.
