FO denies cross-border attack in Afghanistan

The FO rejected reports about Pakistan carrying out airstrikes against the TTP

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office on Thursday categorically rejected reports claiming that Pakistan had carried out airstrikes against the Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan (TTP) in eastern Afghanistan, terming such claims “utterly baseless and malicious”.

The statement came hours after an Afghan newspaper, Hasht-e-Subh Daily, reported that Pakistan launched an air strike on TTP strongholds in the Nangarhar province, and bombed targets in the Salala neighborhood in the vicinity of Gushta district.

While responding to media queries, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch dismissed the report. The claims of air strikes from Pakistan in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan were baseless and malicious, the spokesperson said.

Earlier, the spokesperson said in a statement that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres would co-host an international conference on 'Climate Resilient Pakistan' in Geneva on Monday, January 9.

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At the conference, Baloch said, the prime minister would outline Pakistan's vision for rehabilitation of the flood victims and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure in a resilient manner, with the support of development partners, and the country's transition towards a sustainable economic development model.

"Pakistan will present the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) at the conference, and seek international support and long-term partnerships for its implementation," Baloch said. “The prime minister and the UN secretary-general will also hold a joint press stakeout.”

According to the Foreign Office, the conference would serve as a platform to marshal international support for Pakistan to build back better in a resilient manner after the recent devastating floods, as the country transitions from the rescue-and-relief phase to the recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

She said that the conference would be attended by heads of state and government, ministers and representatives from several countries and international financial institutions, international development organisations, private sector, civil society and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs).

“The 4RF document outlines a prioritised and sequential plan, defined at the federal and provincial levels, and includes the financial mechanism and institutional arrangements for its execution in an open, transparent and collaborative manner,” the spokesperson continued.

“The conference will help Pakistan in forging a long-term partnership with its friends and development partners on the basis of the 4RF document, and serve as a demonstration of international solidarity with the people of Pakistan as they commence the journey towards rebuilding their lives and livelihoods.”