Staff Reporter
ISLAMABA:Pakistan’s Foreign Office has strongly rejected the Taliban foreign minister’s statement describing terrorism as Pakistan’s internal issue, saying that Islamabad has repeatedly presented evidence of “Fitna al-Khawarij” and “Fitna al-Hindustan.”In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan is concerned over the provocations by the Afghan Taliban, Fitna al-Khawarij, and Fitna al-Hindustan. It asserted that Pakistan acted in its right of self-defence, emphasising that its targets and defensive responses were not directed against the Afghan people.Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that a 48-hour ceasefire was observed at the request of the Afghan Taliban, reaffirming that Pakistan believes in dialogue. He categorically rejected Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s remarks made during his visit to India, reiterating that Pakistan has repeatedly presented evidence of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.He noted that Pakistan had hosted over four million Afghan citizens and expressed hope that the Taliban government would take effective action against terrorism. He added that Pakistan’s measures regarding the presence of Afghan nationals were being taken in accordance with national law.The spokesperson said Pakistan hopes that one day, the Afghan people will be governed by their true representatives.The Foreign Office also rejected the joint statement issued during the Afghan interim foreign minister’s visit to India, in which Indian-occupied Kashmir was depicted as part of India.It clarified that the joint communiqué signed in India amounts to denying the rights of the people of occupied Kashmir, and confirmed that the Foreign Secretary had briefed foreign diplomats on the situation following the recent aggression by the Afghan Taliban.
