Declaring Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is a violation of UN resolutions, says Foreign Office Spokesperson
ISLAMABAD (Web News)
Pakistan has expressed strong reservations over the joint statement issued by India and Afghanistan and over remarks made by the Afghan Acting Foreign Minister during his visit to India.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the Afghan ambassador has been conveyed Pakistan’s concerns regarding the points included in the joint statement. The spokesperson stated that declaring Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The spokesperson said the India-Afghanistan joint statement ignores the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for their right to self-determination. The spokesperson described the points included in the joint communiqué as deeply regrettable and reflective of an insensitive attitude.
Pakistan has also rejected the Afghan Acting Foreign Minister’s assertion that terrorism is an internal issue of Pakistan. The statement added that Pakistan has repeatedly provided evidence that terrorist elements are operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan, with the backing of certain groups within Afghanistan.
Pakistan emphasized that shifting the responsibility of countering terrorism onto Pakistan does not absolve the Afghan interim government of its own obligations.
The Foreign Office further reminded that Pakistan, driven by Islamic fraternity and neighborly spirit, has hosted around four million Afghan nationals for over four decades. The statement noted that now, as peace is being restored in Afghanistan, it is time for undocumented Afghan nationals to return to their homeland. Pakistan, like any other sovereign state, reserves the right to regulate the presence of foreigners within its borders.
At the same time, Pakistan made it clear that it continues to issue medical and study visas to Afghan citizens to meet their healthcare and educational needs, and will keep providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood.
Reaffirming its desire for a peaceful, stable, regionally connected, and prosperous Afghanistan, Pakistan said it has extended every possible facilitation to enhance trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity for mutual growth and socio-economic development.
The spokesperson stressed that ensuring the safety and security of its citizens is the primary responsibility of the Government of Pakistan. Pakistan expects the Afghan interim authorities to take concrete actions to prevent their soil from being used by terrorist elements against Pakistan, so that lasting peace and stability can be achieved in the region.