ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Thursday categorically rejected reports about any alleged secret talks between the government and outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and instead asked the Afghan interim government to take “strong” action against perpetrators of the DI Khan terror attack, as well as, Afghanistan-based TTP leadership, and hand them over to Pakistan.
Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that there is absolutely no dialogue taking place with the TTP. She stated this in response to a question when her comments were sought on the credibility of media reports that claimed about happening of an alleged secret dialogue between the government of Pakistan and the TTP.
In her statement, the spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s demands from the Taliban interim regime, seeking strong action against the perpetrators of the DI Khan terror attack and the TTP leadership.
“We have noted the statement by the Afghan Interim Government that it will investigate the terrorist attack of 12 December. Afghanistan must take strong actions against the perpetrators of this heinous attack and hand them over to Pakistan along with the TTP leadership in Afghanistan,” she said.
She added that Pakistan also expects Afghanistan to take concrete and verifiable steps to prevent the use of Afghan soil by terrorist entities against Pakistan.
The statement comes a day after Pakistan summoned Afghan chargé d’Affairs and delivered him Pakistan’s strong demarche following the deadly terrorist attack on Pakistan’s security forces’ post in Daraban, DI Khan in which a total of 23 security forces personnel embraced martyrdom.
It was followed by a statement of Taliban regime’s official spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid who stated: “We are shocked at the attack in Pakistan. We will look into the demands made by Pakistan.” Mujahid also added that Afghanistan should not be blamed for every issue and that Pakistan should focus on its security.
“Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism for the last several decades. And our reaction, our public reaction and our bilateral dialogue on these matters are based on facts which have been determined by our security and law enforcement authorities,” Baloch said.
She added that Pakistan’s law enforcement authorities have determined that terrorist incidents in recent months have their links with individuals belonging to TTP or its affiliates who have hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
“And that is a fact and we expect the Afghan authorities to take effective action against these terrorist sanctuaries and hideouts and the results on ground will speak for themselves of the effectiveness of the action taken inside Afghanistan,” she further stated.
When her comments were sought on a statement by caretaker provincial information minister Jan Achakzai who had stated that the US should be given bases for drone operations against TTP, the spokesperson refused to comment on the “personal remarks of a public official of a province who does not have a foreign policy portfolio, or a defence portfolio.”
About another question with respect to the visit of Army Chief Asim Munir to Washington, she underlined that this is his first visit to the United States in his current position. “It is a normal practice of exchange of visits that takes place between friendly countries where the Chief of Army Staff visits the country concerned for discussions on defence-related matters,” she said.
To another query as to whether the Foreign Office’s input was taken by the army chief prior to his visit to the US, she gave an affirmative response, saying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved in the consultation that took place before embarking on the US visit.
“When any senior official or public official, government official visits a foreign country, there is a process of consultations and preparation and in this case as well before the visit of the Chief of Army Staff to the United States, a consultation process was undertaken and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved, and we provided our input in the preparation of this visit,” she added.
She stated that the army chief has been invited by the relevant US authorities and, as explained by ISPR, he is expected to meet with the relevant defence officials.
“He is also expected to have engagements with the officials in the State Department and defence-related engagements. Further details you may seek from ISPR, which I believe will be sharing information based on the various meetings as they take place,” she further responded to the query without divulging on agenda of his talks in the US.
When asked to explain Pakistan’s demand from the Taliban interim regime to condemn the DI Khan terror attack publically, she said: “the first thing that we expect from any country when such a heinous attack takes place is an expression of condemnation and sympathy.”
She stated that Pakistan has received such messages of sympathy from a large number of countries. “We expect similarly strongly-worded statements from the top leadership of Afghanistan as it would reflect their seriousness in combating this menace of terrorism and to signal to these terrorist groups that they are not welcome in Afghanistan,” she added.
Asked whether the international community’s silence over the Indian Supreme Court’s controversial decision on the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is an indication that they are standing by India’s stance, she refuted the perception, saying that the decision by the Indian Supreme Court is an endorsement of the illegal and unilateral steps that India took in 2019 and the international community including the United Nations have clearly articulated their perspective on this very serious violation and breach of international law.
She said that a day earlier, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressed concern at the Indian Supreme Court’s verdict. “We have also seen statements by the People’s Republic of China and Turkiye, who have reaffirmed the principles of international law and called for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Charter and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” she said.
She added that Pakistan has always been a strong advocate of the Kashmir cause and it will continue to bring to the attention of the international community the illegal steps which are being taken by India and the subjugation of the Kashmiri people.
She also stated that Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani is representing Pakistan at the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) being held in Geneva from 13-15 December 2023.
The GRF brings together the international community to discuss global refugee situations and examine joint pathways for burden and responsibility sharing for refugees. As a major refugee-hosting country for over four decades, she added that Pakistan is among the pioneer co-conveners of the GRF.
She said that Ambassador Durrani will underline that international burden sharing and responsibility needs to be more proportionate, equitable, and predictable. She added that the special representative will also call for continued international responsibility in supporting Afghan refugees, one of the oldest protracted refugee situations.
The spokesperson also stated that Pakistan welcomes the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 12 December 2023, demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, and “ensuring humanitarian access” to the people of Gaza.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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