Pakistan’s FM assures Muttaqi of Islamabad’s ‘commitment’ to peace

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday assured the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) minister of foreign affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi of Pakistan’s commitment to a stable Afghanistan.

This came during a phone conversation between the two, a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

“They discussed a range of issues of mutual interest. The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan,” the statement added.

The call meanwhile comes amid tensions between the two countries, and following an increase in terror attacks in Pakistan, which Islamabad says is exacerbated by the IEA not ensuring Afghanistan’s soil isn’t used by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for launching attacks on Islamabad.

In an interview with a US broadcaster, Voice of America, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the proscribed TTP is still using Afghan soil for launching attacks on Pakistan — especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“Islamabad has good relations with the ruling Taliban (IEA) government in Kabul. However, the Afghan authorities have not succeeded in stopping the use of their territory in attacks on Pakistan,” he said.

The minister also warned the IEA that if they were unable to stop anti-Pakistan terrorists from using their soil, Islamabad would be forced to retaliate.

The matter, the federal minister said, had been brought up and discussed in February during a meeting between a high-ranking delegation — including Asif and the ISI DG Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum — and Afghan officials.

“We have communicated to Kabul during our last visit that please, as our neighbors and brothers, whatever is emanating from Afghan soil is your responsibility,” he said.

“If that is not done, at some point we’ll have to […] resort to some measures, which will definitely — wherever [terrorists] are, their sanctuaries on Afghan soil — we’ll have to hit them,” he said.

“We’ll have to hit them because we cannot tolerate this situation for long.”