ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday clearly told foreign capitals to refrain from interference in its domestic affairs.
The issue was raised at the weekly media conference in the Foreign Office on remarks from the Spokesman Matthew Miller at the US State Department who said that Pakistan’s decision to ban former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party “is a matter of great concern for it”.
Spokeswoman at the Foreign Office responded, “The recent decisions by Pakistani courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, show the strengths of Pakistan’s legal and judicial system and the ability of the Pakistani nation to deal with domestic challenges. Commentary from abroad is therefore unwarranted and unacceptable interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs”.
On the recent demarche to Afghanistan after continuing terrorist attacks on Pakistan from inside Afghanistan, the spokeswoman said the purpose of the demarche was to convey to Afghan authorities its deep concern over the involvement of the Gul Bahadur group, that is based in Afghanistan, and it expects Afghanistan to take action against the individuals responsible and the leadership of the terror groups that continue to threaten Pakistan’s security.
While the Taliban government continues to deny the presence of terrorist groups, the spokeswoman responded, “Pakistan has been engaged in several conversations with the Afghan authorities in the last several months, where we have been exchanging intelligence and information, concrete evidence of individuals and groups responsible for terror attacks inside Pakistan. We expect the Afghan authorities to take concrete, effective and robust action against these groups, to disarm the TTP and Gul Bahadur Group and hand over their leadership and those responsible for terror attacks against Pakistan”.
She added that the Afghan authorities know the whereabouts of these individuals. They are aware of the concerns that Pakistan has about their activities. They are aware of the activities of these individuals and groups and their sponsors. “We expect Afghanistan to take immediate and effective action against these terror groups and any sponsors or backers of these terror groups”, she said.
Recently Malala Yusufzai, the recipient of the Noble Peace prize, had protested Pakistan’s policy of deporting Afghans who were residing illegally inside Pakistan.
“Our position on deportation of foreigners violating Pakistan’s immigration laws is clear. We are not aware of Ms Yousufzai’s commentary on the application of immigration laws of other countries from where foreign nationals, including Pakistani and Afghan nationals, are routinely deported. Furthermore, over 44,000 Afghan nationals in Pakistan are slated to leave for third countries. We wish Ms Yousafzai would urge these countries to expedite the process of their repatriation”, said the spokeswoman.
She confirmed that number of Afghan nationals who are to be settled by the United States is over 25,000. Other countries, which will accept Afghan nationals, include Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy.
To a query as to why the Afghan Taliban were not controlling the TTP from attacking Pakistan, the spokeswoman said she would not like to indulge in an assessment of why a particular action is not taking place. “Our concern is that the action that has taken place is insufficient, and the concerns that Pakistan has with regard to these terror groups inside Afghanistan remain. These terror groups are involved in killing of Pakistani civilians (and) law enforcement and security officials inside Pakistani territory. It is the responsibility of the Afghan authorities to rein in these groups, to take effective action against them, to disarm them and to hand over the leadership of these groups and those responsible for terror attacks against Pakistan”, she reiterated. Responding to the recent judgment from the Kenyan court regarding the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, the spokeswoman said that presently the legal team is perusing the verdict.
“We will not comment on the substance of the case, since it remains sub judice in Pakistan. We are, however, heartened to see that the court has accepted the principle that loss of life cannot be compensated in monetary terms, nor the pain and suffering that the family must have gone through, and that compensation is an appropriate remedy for redress”, she said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov will visit Pakistan from 22-24 July 2024. He will hold extensive talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and call on the Pakistani leadership. The talks between the two sides will cover all aspects of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan and exchange of views on regional and global developments.
