Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson has described the presence of different terrorist groups in Afghanistan as an ‘alarming development’ for bilateral ties as the country has no intention to have talks with banned outfits.
“Afghanistan has assured us all time of taking action against such groups. We hope that it keeps up to its promises. It is necessary as because of these terrors groups an alarming development taking place between Pakistan and Afghanistan relations which we have to resolve together,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in an interview with Spot Light with Munizae Jahangir aired on Aaj News on Tuesday.
She was responding to a query related to Pakistan’s demand to take action against terrorist groups inside Afghanistan.
Baloch sat for an interview with Jahangir on a day that has been busy for the former after a suicide attack in Bisham tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla killed five Chinese nationals and a Pakistani citizen.
KP province shares a long border with neighbouring Afghanistan. The country has time after time urged the interim Afghan government to not allow its soil to be used as a “launch pad” for terrorist activities while Afghan Taliban have asked the government to resolve its internal matter and give some evidence.
According to the FO spokesperson, Pakistan has shared several pieces of evidence with Kabul related to groups who have been conducting terror activities – including banned outfits led by Gul Bahadur and anti-Pakistan elements present in the interim Afghan government – on different occasions.
At the show, she strongly condemned the terrorist attack. “We have a commitment to take action against terrorist groups I want to tell you that Pakistan, along with China, has given a perspective of ending terrorism.”
When asked about the commerce secretary’s visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday, she said that it was already planned many issues are under consideration including transit trade and concerns related to customs authorities.
She added that terrorism was the only issue with the transit trade. In the past as well, Pakistan has called for a confidence-building environment suitable for trade.
“It will be when terrorist incidents are low and tensions ease. Afghanistan will have to take steps in this regard including handing over those members of TTP leadership who conducted terrorist activities and fled to Afghanistan to Pakistan,” Baloch said and added that trade and peace are side by side.
In response to a query, she clarified that Pakistan has no intention to have dialogue with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban. “This is not on our agenda during talks with Afghanistan. Neither we have any intention to have nor we plan to have it through a third party.”
She claimed that 90 per cent of the Afghan immigrants left the country on their own and Pakistan did not force them to leave.
He went on to add that there were special cases where the court gave special instruction to the law enforcement agencies to consider special cases where migrants complained they fled the country for their safety.
Baloch went on to add that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent statement related to the resumption of trade with India was not unusual. She explained such proposals from the business community are always discussed.
There was no decision to talk with India until the restoration of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s status enshrined under the Indian constitution, the FO spokesperson said.
