In a telephonic conversation with Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz underlined that the government and the people of Pakistan were in a state of deep anguish and pain at the recent terrorist incidents in various parts of Pakistan, which had resulted in the loss of precious human lives.

Aziz told Atmar that the banned terrorist outfit, Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JA), had accepted responsibility for the acts of terror, and expressed serious concerns that the terrorist outfit continued to operate from its sanctuaries and safe havens in Afghanistan while Pakistan's calls to Afghan officials regarding their existence went unheeded.

Aziz also told the Afghan adviser that terrorism was a common threat and its elimination required close cooperation between the two countries.

He said it was important that the Afghan government take strong action against such elements and reaffirm that its soil would not be used for terrorism in Pakistan.

He emphasized that cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan was vital for effectively combating the scourge of terrorism and that effective border management was required to prevent the movement of terrorist elements across the border.