• Says Islamabad will proceed to assist neighbour collectively defeat terrorist teams
• Defence minister threatens to close Afghanistan commerce hall if violence doesn’t abate
ISLAMABAD: The International Workplace on Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s need to handle the problem of terrorism with Afghanistan by way of dialogue and cooperation.
In the meantime, in an interview printed on Thursday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif informed the Voice of America that Islamabad doesn’t need an armed battle with its neighbouring nation.
Talking on the weekly FO briefing, Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch mentioned: “Pakistan has repeatedly mentioned that we prioritise dialogue and cooperation to find options to problems with mutual concern and that’s the reason Pakistan has been engaged in conversations and dialogue with Afghanistan to combat the risk that we face that’s of terrorism that emanates from these teams that are presently primarily based in Afghanistan.”
She was responding to questions on Pakistan’s air strikes in opposition to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group targets inside Afghanistan on Monday after militants primarily based there carried out an assault on a Frontier Corps camp on March 16.
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration had responded angrily to the air strikes and fired heavy weapons into Pakistan from throughout the border in retaliation.
“We’ll proceed to interact with Afghanistan in order that we’re in a position to defeat these terror teams and the risk that they pose to Pakistan and the friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” she additional mentioned, including that “The channels of communication between the 2 nations stay open.”
She recalled {that a} Pakistani proposal for collectively confronting terrorism has been on the negotiation desk for a while. “We hope going ahead, the 2 nations can work collectively to seek out joint options to fight terrorism,” she added.
Emphasising the significance of eliminating the fear teams threatening Pakistan’s safety, Baloch mentioned, it was necessary that the 2 nations collaborate for the removal of “a serious subject” weighing the connection down.
The spokesperson, nonetheless, prevented ruling out the opportunity of future strikes inside Afghanistan. “We’ll solely take any motion in any path, dialogue or in any other case, relying on the state of affairs that arises,” she maintained.
Baloch on the identical time restated Pakistan’s respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.
“The 18th of March operation was not focused in opposition to the federal government or establishments or the individuals of Afghanistan. It was a focused operation in opposition to terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries,” she confused, saying that the strikes in opposition to Gul Bahadur sanctuaries had been carried out after the group’s involvement within the FC Camp assault was confirmed and with the belief that this group has not been successfully countered by the Afghan Taliban administration.
Ms Baloch hit again on the Afghan Taliban assertion on the air strikes implying that Pakistan’s Afghan coverage was being run by the navy “generals” noting that the motion of March 18 was taken after concerted deliberations throughout the authorities and it had the complete possession of the nation’s management.
Not on the lookout for a combat
Talking to VOA, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif mentioned: “Power is the final resort. We don’t wish to have an armed battle with Afghanistan.”
On March 18, Pakistan struck Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces in “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations”, which Afghan authorities mentioned killed eight individuals.
Talking concerning the air strikes, the defence minister mentioned: “A message wanted to be despatched that this [cross-border terrorism] has grown an excessive amount of.”
He added that Pakistan wished to convey to the Afghan interim authorities in Kabul that “we can’t proceed like this”.
Mr Asif warned that Islamabad may block the hall it offered to Afghanistan for commerce with India. He asserted that Pakistan had the correct to cease facilitating Kabul if it did not curb terrorists working on Afghan soil in opposition to Pakistan.
“If Afghanistan treats us like an enemy, then why ought to we give them a commerce hall?” he requested.
Recalling the February 2023 go to to Kabul by a high-level delegation led by him, Mr Asif mentioned he had informed the Taliban ministers to not let the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s previous “favours” tie Kabul’s arms.
“In the event that they [TTP] have completed you a favour and also you’re grateful to them, then management them. Don’t allow them to begin a struggle with us whereas residing in your nation, and also you grow to be their ally,” VOA quoted him as saying.
“If they will hurt us, then we’ll be pressured to [retaliate],” the minister mentioned, whereas expressing the hope that Afghanistan would meet the “single demand” of reining within the TTP, therefore stopping the necessity for future navy strikes from Pakistan.
He mentioned Kabul was letting the TTP function in opposition to Pakistan in a bid to forestall its members from becoming a member of the militant Islamic State group’s native chapter, often called the IS-Khorasan chapter.
“It’s not mandatory that the world should applaud us. What’s in our curiosity is sufficient for us. We’re defending our curiosity, regardless of whether or not somebody applauds us or not,” he mentioned.
Printed in Daybreak, March twenty second, 2024
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