ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects “sincere cooperation” from the interim Afg­han government to address the challenge of terrorism and hopes that Kabul would live up to the commitments it has made to the international community in this regard, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday.

Addressing the weekly briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Islamabad takes “the loss of innocent lives very ser­io­usly and would expect our neighbours to do the same.”

When asked about the statement by acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who said on Wednesday that Pakistan should not blame Kabul, she said: “Terrorism is a common threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. We must take a strong stance against entities that use violence against innocent citizens and law enforcement agencies.

“We do not believe in accusations or finger pointing; however, we would reiterate our expectation that no country should allow its territory to be used for perpetrating terrorism against Pakistan.”

Responding to another question regarding consultations between Islamabad and Washington to deal with militancy and terrorism in the region, Ms Baloch said Pakistan has the will and the ability to take on this challenge, something that it has demonstrated in the past as well.

She said history shows that the country’s security forces are capable of fighting and defeating this threat. “We continue to engage with all friends of Pakistan, including the US to discuss cooperation in matters relating to counterterrorism, security issues,” she said.

However, the FO spokesperson refused to comment on reports of a recent drone attack on an Iranian military site, which Tehran has blamed on Israel. Replying to another question, however, she noted the “close relations” between Pakistan and Iran.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2023