Spokesperson also says Sheikh Hasina’s death sentence is an internal matter in Bangladesh
Pakistan expressed serious concern over the continued use of Afghan territory for terrorist attacks and reiterated that its border restrictions and suspension of trade with Afghanistan would remain in force.
At Friday’s weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andarabi said the Afghan Taliban supports groups involved in terrorist activities and must prevent Afghan nationals from carrying out attacks in Pakistan. He said that Afghan territory is constantly being used to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan, which is why Islamabad has suspended trade with Kabul.
The spokesperson also welcomed Turkey’s interest in mediation efforts, even though a planned visit by a Turkish delegation was postponed due to the Turkish vice president’s foreign commitments.
He added that several countries have encouraged mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He further confirmed that the embassies of Pakistan and Afghanistan are functioning and communication channels between the two sides remain open.
Andrabi further mentioned that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is currently visiting the European Union, where he attended the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Forum and held a series of meetings with European officials.
He said Dar met the Hungarian foreign minister and the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to provide scholarships to Pakistani students. He also held separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Slovenia and the Netherlands.
Before heading to the European Union, Dar visited Moscow on November 17-18 to attend the SCO heads of government meeting, he added. During the visit, the DPM met with the Russian President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. At the SCO session, regional issues, including relations with Afghanistan, were discussed, after which a joint statement on economic cooperation was issued.
Furthermore, the spokesperson strongly condemned the actions of Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also criticized India for recent arrests linked to the Red Fort bombings, saying most of those detained were from India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
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He said India was continuously trying to change the demographic balance in the region and Pakistan called on the international community and the United Nations to take note of the continuing human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. Responding to the death sentence handed down to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, the spokesperson said it was an internal matter of Bangladesh, which has its own constitution and legal system.
Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s statement that the Indian prime minister would avoid a war, Andarabi said Pakistan considered the remarks credible. He added that the recent US Congress report was a research-based document prepared from open sources.
Speaking about the UN vote on Gaza, he said Pakistan had explained its position after voting in favor of the US resolution. China, which abstained from the vote, also clarified its position. He added that Pakistan and China shared similar positions on several aspects of the issue.
