ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: Pakistan has approached the United Nations relief agencies to verify the number of Pakistanis killed in Afghanistan in action.
Foreign Office Spokesman Aziz Khan told at the daily press briefing on Thursday that since Pakistan had no presence inside Afghanistan, it had asked the UN agencies, who are planning to move in, to verify the number of Pakistanis killed in recent fighting.
ISPR chief Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi allayed the concern about the security on the western borders after the takeover of Kabul by the Northern Alliance, saying there was no movement southwards.
In some Pakhtoon-dominated areas, he said, local tribal elders and commanders had risen against the Taliban and taken over those towns and cities.
As regards the possibility of some Taliban or members of Al Qaeda crossing over into Pakistan, the ISPR chief said that security had already been beefed up to prevent any unauthorized crossing into the country. Nobody without having valid documents would be allowed to enter Pakistan, he declared.
In reply to a question whether the fall of Kabul would hamper the process of setting up a broad-based government, the FO spokesman said that international community as well as the Six-plus-Two group had called for the broad-based government.
He pointed out that the United Nations Security Council had adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of a broad-based, multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan.
He read out some portions of the resolution in which it had expressed strong support for the efforts of Afghan people for the establishment of a transitional government leading to a permanent setup.
