Foreign Office Thursday sounded the alarm over the increasing footprint of Daesh in Afghanistan and asked the Afghan government as well as Resolute Support Mission (RSM) to prevent the terrorists from taking shelters in the ungoverned areas of Afghanistan.
Spokesperson for Foreign Office, Dr Mohammad Faisal told in his weekly media briefing that Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its grave concerns over the presence and growing terrorist activities of Daesh in Afghanistan. "We are especially alarmed at Daesh's presence in Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan," he said, adding Deash is also present in Afghan provinces bordering China, Iran and the Central Asian states.
The latest report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is an eye opener in this regard, he said, adding that more than 43 percent of Afghan territory is either out of Kabul's control or is contested.
"Such ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan have been instrumental in attracting terrorist groups from all over the world. Presence of such terrorist groups not only poses threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan but also undermines the security of its neighbours and the region as a whole," he said.
"We expect that Afghanistan and Resolute Support Mission (RSM) will take action to bring the ungoverned and contested territories under control and prevent such groups from exploiting these spaces," he hoped. Commenting on the media reports regarding China's halting release of funds to three projects under CPEC, the spokesperson said that Pakistan has not received any more information from the Chinese side regarding halting funding for any project.
He said that the funding for CPEC projects is approved and disbursed as per the agreed principles between the governments, ministries and companies of the two countries. To a question regarding Russian media reports that "unidentified helicopters" are transferring the IS terrorists into Afghanistan, Dr Faisal declined to comment, saying, "We do not comment on media reports." However, he reiterated that Pakistan is concerned over the expanding foothold of Daesh inside Afghanistan. Many countries in this region have expressed concern on the rise of Daesh in Afghanistan, he added.
About Pakistan's reaction to the US administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said, "We have conveyed our reaction to the US officials in Islamabad, including the resolutions of the National Assembly and the Senate on the issue of Jerusalem. We have been assured that our sentiments and concerns would be conveyed to Washington."
He further said that Pakistan will fully implement whatever has been decided during the OIC Summit in Turkey on December 13. The summit declaration states that the OIC member states recognize Jerusalem as Palestine's capital "under occupation" and urge the US to withdraw from the peace process.
The OIC leaders "reject and condemn in the strongest terms the unilateral decision by the President of the US recognizing al-Quds [Jerusalem] as the so-called capital of Israel, the occupying power; reject it as null and void legally, and consider it an attack on the historical, legal, natural and national rights of the Palestinian people, a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, an impetus for extremism and terrorism, and a threat to international peace and security."
On Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother, he said that Pakistan has received a reply from Indian side that they would be sending Commander Jadhav's wife and mother on December 25, 2017, adding that the details and modalities of the meeting will now be worked out. He further said that Pakistan submitted the counter-memorial to ICJ on Thursday, adding the extensive and detailed legal arguments prepared by the Counsel for Pakistan, Barrister Khawar Qureshi, Queen's Counsel (QC), were filed at the ICJ in accordance with the court timetable.
"The counter-memorial is a comprehensive and robust document that covers all legal aspects of the case. We are fully confident that the ICJ will have regard to legal principles, as well as its existing case law, to reject the claims made by India for "acquittal or release," he hoped.
Commenting on India's latest test of surface-to-air missile, he said that Indian arms buildup has pushed the region in a vicious arms race and its hegemonic designs are a cause of serious concern not only for Pakistan but also for the entire region. "Indian thirst for becoming a regional power is casting a dark shadow on the South Asia," he asserted, adding that the Pakistan forces are ready to defend its borders against any threat.
Responding to another query on President Trump's signing of defence bill that also included $700 million reimbursement to Pakistan under Coalition Support Fund (CSF), he welcomed the signing of the defence bill. However, he stated that CSF is a reimbursement and not assistance.
On Pakistan-Afghan relations, he said that after the recent visit by the Army Chief along with foreign secretary and DG ISI, Pakistan has shared a proposal with Afghan side on Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Solidarity (APAPS) for constructive and meaningful bilateral engagement through the working groups in the areas of political, economic, military, intelligence, and refugee issues. A formal reply from Afghan government is awaited, he added.
Additionally, he pointed out that an Afghan military delegation headed by their DGMO visited Pakistan from November 30 to December 01, 2017 and during the meeting, the two sides agreed to place liaison officers (LOs) at each other's army headquarters and also establish ground coordination centers (GCCs).