ISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (APP): Pakistan on Friday reiterating its call for the Afghan Taliban to stop supporting the terrorist outfits, made it clear that the onus of the delay in border opening, suspension of trade as well as the execution of international connectivity projects, rested with the Afghan government.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, in his weekly press briefing, told the media that Pakistan had closed the border crossing and suspended all trade with Afghanistan due to Afghan Taliban regime supporting Fitantul Hindustan and Fitna al Khawarij.
“The onus of delay in opening the border crossing rests with Afghan Taliban. Similarly, the projects like TAPI and CASA-1000,” he said and reiterated that Afghanistan should also stop misuse of its soil for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
He told the media that Pakistan tried to remain engaged with Afghanistan, but it incurred the loss of life.
He said earlier, Pakistan had segregated trade and security. “But then there is a threshold of patience. I think that threshold of patience has been crossed. We cannot let the trade happen as if trade is to license the killing of Pakistanis from Afghan soil.”
Asked to comment on a statement by an Afghan leader announcing to prepare 4,000 bombers for Pakistan, Andrabi said that the statement proved what Pakistan had been saying and reinforced Pakistan’s position that Afghan soil was being used to launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Asked about US President Donald Trump’s statement on his conversation with Indian Prime Minister Modi, who assured that he would not go to war with Pakistan, the spokesperson said “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 Indian political and military leadership continued to monger war, issue hostile statements.
To a question, the spokesperson said that on the Iranian nuclear issue, Pakistan’s position was principled and remained steady as the country recognized the right of a nuclear enrichment to the permissible limits as per Iranians’ rights and obligations under international law.
Commenting on the US congressional report, the spokesperson said its final conclusion, referring to Pakistan’s overwhelming success, was “quite a telling” conclusion of that report.
Earlier, Spokesperson Andrabi apprised the media of diplomatic engagements during the week highlighting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Russia to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting and Brussels to co-chair the 7th session of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue and attend 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum where he also engaged with counterparts and officials from different countries.
On the sidelines, he said Pakistan and Hungary also signed the renewal of an MoU on Cooperation within the Framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Program 2026-2028 offering 400 scholarships to citizens of Pakistan for pursuing higher students in Hungary.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of continuing violations by the Israeli occupying forces and extremist settlers against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, including repeated storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and provocations against worshippers.
“Such actions constitute a blatant violation of the international law and the relevant UN resolutions. It is imperative that the sanctity of the holy sites must be ensured in accordance with the international law and the historical status quo,” he said and reiterated Pakistan’s principled position in support of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the Two-State solution, leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Andrabi expressed serious concerns over the persistent and serious human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as prevailing Indian policies, marked by widespread detentions, arbitrary arrests, and extensive restrictions on fundamental freedoms, continued to amount to collective punishment of the occupied Kashmiri population.
“India continues its efforts to alter the demographic character in the occupied territory and to erode the religious, cultural, and social heritage of the Kashmiri people… Thousands of Kashmiri youth remain missing, while many genuine political representatives of the Kashmiri people remain in arbitrary detention. Such coercive actions cannot undermine the Kashmiri people’s enduring commitment to realizing their internationally recognized right to self-determination.”
Calling upon international community including the United Nations to take full cognizance of the grave human rights situation in IIOJK, he urged the bodies to encourage India to take immediate remedial measures, ensure accountability for documented violations, and allow credible international human rights organizations to conduct independent and impartial assessments.
“A just, peaceful, and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, remains essential for durable peace and stability in South Asia.”
Commenting on the sentence awarded in the trial of Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, he said “This is an internal matter of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh are fully capable of addressing their issues in accordance with their own democratic and constitutional processes.”