ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed strong reservations over the recent India-Afghanistan joint statement, highlighting several points of concern.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan formally conveyed its concerns to the Afghan ambassador regarding specific provisions in the joint statement.
The ministry stated that declaring Jammu and Kashmir as part of India constitutes a violation of United Nations resolutions and disregards the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination. The points included in the statement were described as deeply regrettable and indicative of an insensitive approach.
The Foreign Office also rejected claims made by the Afghan Foreign Minister that terrorism in Pakistan is purely an internal matter.
Pakistan strongly dismissed statements from the Afghan acting foreign minister concerning Pakistan, emphasizing that Afghanistan cannot absolve itself of responsibility by blaming Pakistan, particularly given repeated evidence of operations carried out by terrorist groups such as Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan from Afghan soil.
The Foreign Office spokesperson further underscored that Pakistan has hosted nearly four million Afghan refugees over the past four decades and stressed that it is now time for those residing illegally in Pakistan to return to their homeland.
Pakistan has provided Afghan citizens with medical and educational visas on humanitarian grounds and has facilitated trade, economic cooperation, and bilateral engagement to strengthen relations with Afghanistan.
The statement concluded by reaffirming that Pakistan will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and urged the Afghan government to ensure that its territory is cleared of terrorist groups, including Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan.
It is noteworthy that Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, is currently on a visit to India, where he met with his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and later addressed the Indian media.
