Pakistan Thursday warned the United States and Afghan officials against giving controversial statements, describing these as 'counterproductive' and having the potential to affect joint interest of peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal while responding to media queries in his weekly briefing regarding the allegations levelled against Pakistan by Afghan leadership including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well as the Director of US National Intelligence Daniel Coats urged that such controversial statements need to be avoided.
Commenting on Director of US Intelligence Daniel Coats` remarks about Pakistan in the context of terrorism, he said that Pakistan has raised the issue with the US side that such controversial statements will be counterproductive and have the potential to adversely affect the peace and stability of the region.
"Pakistan has played an exemplary role in war against terrorism rendering immense sacrifices in men and material," he said. He said that Pakistan continues to play its constructive role for stabilising the region and its efforts are being highly acknowledged by the US leadership including President Trump.
He said that Pakistan has raised with the US authorities that such controversial statements are counterproductive and urged them to build trust rather than weakening it, adding that such statements which are in contrary to the reality have the potential to affect the joint interest of peace and stability and therefore need to be avoided.
About the Afghan peace talks and the accusations by senior Afghan leaders including President Ashraf Ghani, Dr Faisal said that Pakistan has on the request of the United States and Afghanistan facilitated the Afghan peace process in good faith and spirit of shared responsibility.
"There are actors in Afghanistan and the region who want perpetual conflict in the country [Afghanistan]," he said, adding that such characters have undermined the peace process in the past and are also trying to do the same at present. He also urged the US Afghanistan and Taliban to remain watchful of these detracting elements who are trying to undermine the nascent peace process.
In a latest accusations against Pakistan, President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday last maintained that the "keys to war are in Islamabad, Quetta, Rawalpindi," alleging that Pakistan is a safe haven for cross-border militant activities.
He also made it clear that Pakistan is facilitating the peace process between the US and Taliban which is not for the sake of taking any appreciations from any other country.
He also stated that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been appointed as head of the Taliban's Doha office to lead its delegation negotiation with the US. He said that the talk process is progressing in the positive manner.
The spokesperson also told media persons that Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was summoned to the Foreign Office on Thursday by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua who lodged with him a strong protest over calling in Pakistan's envoy Sohail Mehmood in New Delhi on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's telephone call to senior Kashmir leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
He said that India needs to refrain from targeting Pakistan in its electioneering, saying that late night summoning of Pakistan's High Commissioner Sohail Mehmood to Indian External Affairs Ministry 'is just a political gimmickry and electioneering.'
He urged India to stop playing anti-Pakistan rhetoric in its domestic politics and conduct elections on its own internal policies.
He said that the foreign secretary conveyed to the Indian high commissioner that the status of Jammu and Kashmir is internationally accepted as disputed territory and Pakistan will continue to support Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination.
"As Indian atrocities continue in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, we urge the international community to call upon India to stop bloodshed in Kashmir," he added. He said that Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 05 is also commemorative of 26th year of detention of Dr Qasim Faktu, husband of Aasia Indrabi, adding that the detention of both in the Indian jails on trumped up charges is gross violation of human rights by India.
On January 29, Foreign Minister Qureshi telephoned the senior Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and briefed him on the efforts of Pakistan to highlight the gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to a question if any invitation is being extended to Kashmir leaders to attend the upcoming international conference in London on February 05, he said that there is no need of extending any special invitation to Kashmiris, adding that it is their own event and is open for all to attend.
To another question about Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement to keep Torkham border open, he said that the announcement is a major step towards promoting bilateral trade and people-to-people contacts with Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan has always emphasised the need for deepening bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
To another query about the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities, he said that India is callously continuing with state-sponsored terrorism and it should alleviate Pakistan's concerns regarding use of Afghan soil for launching terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil instead of levelling farfetched allegations against Pakistan.
Responding to another question about the alleged transportation of Daesh terrorists through 'suspicious' helicopters in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said that the rise of Daesh along Pakistan's border in Afghanistan is of a grave concern for Pakistan, adding, "We want this needs to be addressed."
About Aasia Bibi, he said that after the Supreme Court's verdict, there is no restriction on her movement. "As per my information she [Asia Bibi] is still in Pakistan...she is a free citizen of Pakistan and there is no restriction on her movement." He said this while replying to a question whether she has been moved abroad.
To another question, he termed the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Pakistan of an utmost importance, adding that more details of his visit will be released soon.
To another query, he said that with the efforts of Pakistan's embassy in Kabul and consulate in Qandahar, a Pakistani prisoner Ejaz Shah has been released before seven months of completion of his sentence and has been handed over to Pakistani authorities by Afghanistan.
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