ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office stated Thursday that Pakistan’s negotiations with Afghanistan continue to be centered on counterterrorism, but it did not provide an update on the results of the current round of talks.
“Terrorism-related concerns rank highly on Pakistan’s agenda for Pakistan-Afghanistan exchanges. During the weekly media conference, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated, “Pakistan and Afghanistan have been discussing aspects of combating the threat that Pakistan faces from the terror elements, which have found hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.”
Ms. Baloch was answering a question regarding the recent meeting between Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob and Pakistan’s chargé d’affairs in Kabul, Obaid Nizamani, when the two allegedly talked about enhancing ties and extending mutual cooperation.
Attacks against targets within Pakistan by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, based in Afghanistan, have strained ties between Pakistan and the Taliban government. The Taliban leadership in Kabul has seemed to disregard Islamabad’s repeated calls for the Afghan Taliban to act against the banned TTP.
TTP fighters and their families may be being moved by the Afghan Taliban from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to the Ghazni province, according to recent reports. Ms. Baloch did not, however, confirm or deny this; she merely said that Pakistan will continue to push the Afghan Taliban to take action against organizations and people that pose a threat to Pakistan’s security and that talks on terrorism would continue.
When asked another question, Ms. Baloch voiced her worry that militants located in Afghanistan would band together and pose a bigger threat to the region. She emphasized, “Therefore, we would like to see immediate, effective, and robust action against these terror groups.”
Ms. Baloch reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment for “constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue” in relation to normalization with India, but she bemoaned India’s lack of political determination to settle disagreements diplomatically.
“Pakistan supports harmonious coexistence. We desire regional stability and peace. We have behaved responsibly in spite of the difficulties in our bilateral relations with India,” she said. “Tango requires two people.” We can only hope that our neighbor to the east would take action to foster an atmosphere that is favorable to communication, peace, and the settlement of long-standing conflicts.
