ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Office on Tuesday described the Afghan government’s allegations implicating the Pakistani intelligence agencies in terrorist activities as unfounded and counter-productive.
“We express our dismay at the latest allegations leveled in the statements issued by Afghanistan’s National Security Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Repeated attempts by the Afghan side to implicate Pakistan’s intelligence institutions in terrorist activities are both unfounded and counter-productive.”
The Foreign Office said that Pakistan remains committed to disallowing its territory to be used against any country. “We would not allow anyone to breach Pakistan’s laws in this regard or to undermine our goals of fostering friendly and cooperative relations with neighbouring countries.”
The statement said that Pakistan believes that the threat of terrorism can be best addressed through mutual cooperation.
“Pakistan’s firm resolve to combat the menace of terrorism without any discrimination is concretely manifested in the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation,” the statement said.
The Foreign Office said that it is imperative that complementary actions are also taken by the Afghan authorities on their side of the border. It said that elimination of terrorist sanctuaries and handing over of TTP elements that have taken refuge in Afghanistan are the first important step in that direction.
“We hope that the Afghan side would respond positively by taking the requisite counter-terrorism measures in the long-term interest of friendly, cooperative and good-neighbourly relations with Pakistan,” the Foreign Office said.