Khar defends Pakistan’s stance on cross-border shelling
Foreign minister says it is as distasteful for Pakistan, but is in reaction to something that happens.
NEW YORK:
In defense of the cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar questioned on Wednesday that “if 200 people cross the Pak-Afghan border and behead 17 soldiers and slaughter them, what do you expect Pakistan to do?”
Speaking to reporters after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) contact group meeting on Jammu and Kashmir at the UN General Assembly, Khar said that she had raised the issue of cross-border infiltration and shelling with her Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rassoul during their meeting on Tuesday.
“I raised the concern with him that if you give a statement on Pakistan at another forum – ideally we should not be doing that.” She added that Pakistan “does not like doing any kind of shelling.”
“This is as distasteful for us as this is for you, but this is in reaction to something that happens,”said the foreign minister. “We need to go to the root cause of this problem,” said that they need to be solved and work on border control.
“We will take responsibility from our side, they [Afghanistan] should take responsibility from their side.”
Khar added that Pakistan should not be “laden with everyone’s responsibility.”
Responding to a question regarding Wednesday’s trilateral meeting between Pakistan, United Kingdom and Afghanistan, the foreign minister said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan had strong, historical ties with the UK. Khar added that the UK had a historical understanding of the region and that the trilateral meeting was “very useful”.
She said that Pakistan might sign a long term agreement with Afghanistan so that its bilateral ties with the country are institutionalised, adding that it was required and key.
Khar said that the military, intelligence and political leadership had strong ties with Afghanistan.
In defense of the cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar questioned on Wednesday that “if 200 people cross the Pak-Afghan border and behead 17 soldiers and slaughter them, what do you expect Pakistan to do?”
Speaking to reporters after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) contact group meeting on Jammu and Kashmir at the UN General Assembly, Khar said that she had raised the issue of cross-border infiltration and shelling with her Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rassoul during their meeting on Tuesday.
“I raised the concern with him that if you give a statement on Pakistan at another forum – ideally we should not be doing that.” She added that Pakistan “does not like doing any kind of shelling.”
“This is as distasteful for us as this is for you, but this is in reaction to something that happens,”said the foreign minister. “We need to go to the root cause of this problem,” said that they need to be solved and work on border control.
“We will take responsibility from our side, they [Afghanistan] should take responsibility from their side.”
Khar added that Pakistan should not be “laden with everyone’s responsibility.”
Responding to a question regarding Wednesday’s trilateral meeting between Pakistan, United Kingdom and Afghanistan, the foreign minister said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan had strong, historical ties with the UK. Khar added that the UK had a historical understanding of the region and that the trilateral meeting was “very useful”.
She said that Pakistan might sign a long term agreement with Afghanistan so that its bilateral ties with the country are institutionalised, adding that it was required and key.
Khar said that the military, intelligence and political leadership had strong ties with Afghanistan.