Fight against terrorism: Afghanistan, ISAF pledge cooperation, National Assembly told

The National Assembly was informed on Friday that in the wake of Peshawar school attack, ISAF and Afghanistan have given a complete assurance to Pakistan to eliminate the terrorists hiding across the border. Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan while responding to a question on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the House that during their recent visit, ISAF Commander General Campbell assured complete support in eliminating terrorists from his area of responsibility.
He said that General Campbell and the Afghan CGS General Karimi reiterated this commitment during their visit to Rawalpindi on December 23, 2014. He said that in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, the CoAS again visited Kabul and shared vital elements of intelligence with concerned authorities.
He said that the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reassured that the Afghan soil would not be allowed to be used for terrorist activities against Pakistan and any signature found in this regard would immediately be eliminated.
He said that terrorism was a common enemy that transcends boundaries and afflicts the whole region, adding that Pakistan and Afghanistan recognise the imperative to work together to effectively combat the menace, including strengthening of border controls and management. In the wake of operation Zarb-e-Azb, he said that the terrorist infrastructure in North Waziristan had been eliminated and Pakistan also requested Afghan authorities to take complementary action on their side of the border to block the fleeing terrorists and eliminate terrorists' sanctuaries. During the visit of President Ashraf Ghani in November 2014, he said, the two leaders made a common commitment not to allow the respective territories to be used against the other. "The Afghan leadership has indicated readiness to take measures on their side of the border to address specific security situations," he said, adding that the two countries have already reactivated bilateral interaction at the military and intelligence levels.
He said the government had turned a new leaf in Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan respects sovereignty of Afghanistan with reciprocation. To various question by the members about taking action against the outlawed TTP leadership operating from Kunar and Noristan provinces of Afghanistan, he said that the military leadership was in constant contacts with Afghan counterparts and they have given assurance to take action against all the terrorists on their side.
To another question, the minister said that currently, there were 385 Pakistani prisoners (253 civil and 132 fishermen) detained in Indian jails. While the total number of Pakistanis under detention in Bangladesh was 72, he added. About the steps for their releases, he said that recently, as a result of the relentless efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the India side released 21 (4 civil and 17 fishermen) Pakistani prisoners.
He further told the House that 213 (98 civil and 115 fishermen) Pakistani prisoners detained in Indian jails were under trial as on 1st January, 2015. While the total number of cases under trial in Bangladesh is 33, he added. To another query about the non-career diplomats posted in foreign missions, the minister said that there wre 13 ambassadors/high commissioners currently working in different Pakistan's missions abroad who have been appointed by Prime Minister against the quota for the non-career diplomats.
Those included Lieutenant General Mohammad Yousuf (Retd) in Bonsia Herzegovina, Brigadier Mohammad Zareef Malik (Retd) in Brunei Darussalam, Lieutenant General Ahsan Azhar Hayyat (Retd) in Jordan, Lieutenant General Javed Zia (Retd) in Libya, Major General Ulfat Hussain Shah (Retd) in Mauritius, Lieutenant General Mohammad Ashraf Saleem (Retd) in Nigeria, Shahzad Ahmad in Qatar, Rafat Mehdi in Spain, Major General Qasim Qureshi (Retd) in Sri Lanka, Major General Wajahat Ali Mufti (Retd) in Ukraine, Dr Maleeha Lodhi in United Nations, New York, Zameer Akram in United Nations, Geneva and Jalil Abbas Jalani in United States. Khurram Dastgir Khan further told the House that Pakistan was a party to all the four Geneva Conventions regarding humanitarian laws.