ISLAMABD: Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nafees Zekria has said that Pakistan will not allow its rival country Indian to use Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan.
While talking to Voice of America (VOA), he said that Pakistan does not want to comment on both sovereign countries (Afghanistan and India) relations; however, he warned that “if Indian uses Afghanistan’s soil against Pakistan’s interest,” Islamabad will not remain silent.
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani made two official visits to India this week, where New Delhi pledged $1 billion in development aid and signed other deals for extraditing criminals and terror suspects between both countries.
Zekria said that Pakistan on number of occasions raised its concerns that there are elements in Afghanistan who are using Afghanistan’s soil to hurt the interests of Pakistan. Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of giving safe havens to the Taliban and other militants groups but Pakistan authorities have denied those allegations, and have pointed to military offensive in their tribal region as evidence of Islamabad’s commitment to fighting militants groups, VOA reported.
Zekria said that “we do not allow our own soil to be used against any country, and also we don’t like to see other country’s soil to be used against Pakistan”. He said that Pakistan knows and has capacity to respond its rival’s countries.
Meanwhile, United States (US) special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson has appreciated Pakistan efforts against terrorism and said that Pakistan has made good efforts against terrorist groups such as al-Qaida, but more needs to be done.
According to VOA, Olson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Pakistan efforts are laudable but Pakistan struggle with terrorism will not come to an end until it makes a decisive shift in its policy of tolerance towards external focused groups.
Pakistan fight against terrorists will not be succeeded if Pakistan does not make decisive shift in its policy, Olson told Senators. Olson also said that “US officials have been clear with Pakistan officials that Pakistan must target all militants without any discrimination.
