The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday linked the reopening of the Pak-Afghan border to the Afghan Taliban regime ending its support of terrorist groups
In a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi recalled that Islamabad had closed all border crossings with Afghanistan in light of the Taliban’s consistent “support to Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khawarij,” the government’s terms for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch militant groups.
“The onus of the delay in opening the border crossing rests with the Afghan Taliban. Similarly, projects like TAPI and CASA-1000,” explained the spokesperson, reiterating calls for the Afghan Taliban regime to prevent their soil from being used for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
According to Andrabi, Islamabad has incurred significant loss of life despite sincere and repeated attempts to engage Kabul. Previously, he explained, Islamabad had trade and security in bilateral ties. “But then there is a threshold of patience. I think that threshold of patience has been crossed,” he said, warning that Pakistan would not allow any trade that serves as “license for the killing of Pakistanis from Afghan soil.”
To a question on an Afghan Taliban official’s claim of preparing 4,000 suicide bombers for Pakistan, the spokesperson said the statement reinforced Pakistan’s position that Afghan soil was being used to launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
He rejected suggestions trade losses should override security concerns. “Can you put a price tag on a human life, a Pakistani life?” he questioned. “Consider the people whose father, children, mother have been killed in these terrorist attacks. Can we convince them that look, let these killings continue because we are having an X amount of dollars of trade with Afghanistan?” he added.
“We are cognizant of the losses to Pakistani traders, who are suffering,” he said. “But now we cannot let our people be killed indiscriminately,” he added.
Pak-Indo Ties
The Foreign Office spokesperson said Islamabad was aware of recent statements of India’s political and military leadership regarding Pakistan. He said Pakistan had also noted U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statement regarding Indian Prime Minister Modi’s assurance that Delhi would not initiate a war with Islamabad. “That assurance we obviously take with a pinch of salt. It is not backed up by any cooling down of statements emanating from India,” he said.
He noted a report submitted to U.S. Congress had validated Pakistan’s military success over India in the four-day war in May. The report, presented by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, states that Pakistan downed Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, using Chinese-made weapons.
Andrabi expressed concerns over the continued and grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), saying New Delhi was making “efforts to alter the demographic character of IIOJK.” He maintained such actions would not undermine the Kashmiri people’s enduring commitment to realizing their internationally recognized right to self-determination and reiterated calls for a just, peaceful and lasting resolution to the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.