FO emphasises visa regulations for Pak-Afghan border movement

The Foreign Office on Friday stated that movement across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border should be regulated by visas.

During a media briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that individuals wishing to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan must possess a visa and an Afghan passport. She emphasised that border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan should be conducted under visa regulations.

The spokesperson further mentioned that Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council yesterday. She affirmed that Pakistan’s laws guarantee human rights and reiterated that Pakistan takes the implementation of its Constitution seriously in response to other governments' reactions.

The foreign office also reiterated its call for India to be held accountable for ongoing human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where over 7,000 Kashmiris have died in the custody of Indian forces over the past three decades.

Baloch further highlighted the reported death of a Kashmiri civilian at a police station in Pulwama district of IIOJK.

She emphasised that Pakistan, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, would advocate for the peaceful resolution of disputes, oppose unilateral force, combat terrorism in all its forms, support UN peacekeeping efforts, and promote democracy, transparency, and accountability.

Additionally, Baloch noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on an official visit to China. Following discussions at the delegation level, 23 memorandums of understanding were signed. Security for Chinese citizens in Pakistan was also discussed during the meetings. The premier participated in a business conference in Shenzhen as well.

Read: Seven terrorists killed as infiltration bid from Afghanistan foiled

Furthermore, the FO spokesperson condemned the bombing by Israeli forces of a UN-run school sheltering Palestinian refugees, which resulted in multiple deaths, primarily of women and children.

"This attack is another crime in a series of assaults against civilians, including an IDP camp attack last week that killed 45 Palestinians. The deliberate targeting of civilian populations and facilities is a grave violation of international law and constitutes war crimes," she stated.

FO statements on cross-border travel come in light of the rising insurgent attacks on Pakistan's northern territories that have been found to have roots to Afghan soil.

Previously, at least five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani drivers were killed in a suicide attack on the Karakoram Highway on March 26.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore along with the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) coordinator, Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi said evidence of Afghan linkage to the Besham attack had already been shared with the Afghan government.

“Unfortunately, there is no positive response yet from the Afghan government,” the interior minister said.

Pakistan not only demanded the arrest of three TTP terrorists responsible for the Besham attack but also wanted TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and the entire leadership detained.

The interior minister said that if the Afghan government could not put them on trial, the entire TTP leadership should be handed over to Pakistan.