Islamabad rebukes Kabul over terror remarks

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday took exception to remarks made by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his visit to India, saying that "deflecting" the responsibility of countering terrorism could not absolve Afghan authorities of their obligations toward ensuring regional peace.

Muttaqi's visit marked India's first high-level engagement with the Taliban government since it seized power in 2021.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, the Afghan foreign minister commented on a recent explosion in Kabul, condemning the incident and taking aim at Pakistan. "Whatever the problems are in each country should be solved by themselves," he said.

Muttaqi further claimed there was no terrorist group left in Afghanistan. "If other countries achieve peace themselves as we did in Afghanistan, then there will be peace in the entire region. Since the last eight months, there has not been even a small incident in Afghanistan. In four years, no one has been harmed from Afghanistan's soil. So this is the best proof that we have presented," he said.

In response, the FO issued a statement saying that Pakistan's strong reservations on elements of the India-Afghanistan joint statement had been conveyed to Afghanistan's ambassador in Islamabad by the Additional Foreign Secretary (West Asia & Afghanistan).

"Pakistan also strongly rejected the Afghan acting foreign minister's assertion that terrorism is Pakistan's internal problem," the statement said.

It added that Pakistan had repeatedly shared detailed evidence regarding the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan elements operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan with support from elements within Afghanistan.

The FO reiterated that "by deflecting the responsibility of controlling terrorism towards Pakistan cannot absolve the Interim Afghan Government of its obligations towards ensuring peace and stability in the region and beyond".

The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by the state for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al-Hindustan refers to Balochistan-based groups allegedly supported by India.

The FO also voiced strong objections to references made in the India-Afghanistan joint statement.

"It was conveyed that the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is in clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir. The joint statement is highly insensitive to the sacrifices and sentiments of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for the right to self-determination," the FO said.

Highlighting Pakistan's decades-long humanitarian support, the FO reminded that the country had "generously hosted nearly four million Afghans for over four decades in the spirit of good neighbourliness and Islamic brotherhood".

It added that with peace gradually returning to Afghanistan, it was time for "unauthorised Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan to return to their country".

"Like all other countries and in line with international norms and practices, Pakistan has the right to regulate the presence of foreign nationals residing inside its territory," it said.

"At the same time, along with the repatriation of Afghan nationals, Pakistan has also been generously issuing medical and study visas to address the medical and educational needs of Afghan nationals. In the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and good neighbourly relations, Pakistan will continue to extend humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan."

The FO reaffirmed that "Pakistan is desirous of seeing a peaceful, stable, regionally connected and prosperous Afghanistan".

It noted that Islamabad had extended "all possible trade, economic and connectivity facilitation" to Afghanistan, saying these measures were "aimed at promoting cooperation and socio-economic development of the two countries".

At the same time, the FO emphasised that the government had a responsibility "to take all possible measures for the safety and security of its people".

The statement concluded that Pakistan "expects the interim Afghan government to play its due role in supporting Pakistan to achieve this noble objective by taking concrete measures to prevent its territory from being used by terrorist elements against Pakistan".