The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said terrorism emanating from Afghanistan was undermining regional peace and development, and urged the Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable action against militant groups.
Addressing the 27th informal meeting of the Economic
Cooperation Organization Council of Ministers in New York, Dar said Pakistan
wanted a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan that was fully integrated
into the region and at peace with itself and its neighbors.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar said Islamabad
had pursued constructive engagement with the Taliban authorities in line with
its broader foreign policy goals of peace, development and regional
integration.
The Taliban authorities have rejected Pakistan’s
allegations, saying insecurity in Pakistan is the result of what they describe
as Islamabad’s “failed” policies rather than threats originating from Afghan
territory. Taliban officials have also said Afghanistan does not pose a
security threat to any country and that Afghan soil will not be allowed to be
used against others.
“Pakistan’s only expectation from the Taliban regime is to
address our legitimate security concerns,” Dar said, calling for concrete and
verifiable action against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, the Balochistan
Liberation Army, or BLA, and other militant groups that Pakistan says threaten
its sovereignty and the lives of its citizens.
“We believe that peace and development in the region can
only be achieved with the elimination of the terrorist threat which is
emanating right now from Afghanistan,” Dar said.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups based in
Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban authorities
have rejected accusations that Afghan territory is being used to facilitate
attacks against other countries and have said they do not allow Afghanistan to
be used against any state.
Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s economic engagement with
Afghanistan, saying Islamabad had extended bilateral and transit trade
concessions and was pursuing a framework agreement for a feasibility study of
the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project.
He said Pakistan’s approach toward Afghanistan was aligned
with its broader objectives of peace, development and regional integration.
The remarks came amid continued tensions between Islamabad
and Kabul over security, cross-border incidents and allegations concerning
militant activity.
