The Foreign Office Thursday distanced itself from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s visit to Kabul, stating that the government of Pakistan is not supporting it.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, addressing the weekly press briefing in Islamabad, first refused to comment on the visit, but later maintained that the politician has gone to Afghanistan in a private capacity. However, she added, that the Foreign Office will seek a briefing from him about it.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan is not interested in dialogue with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. “The outlawed TTP carried out several terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. We demand that the Afghan interim government take action against the terrorists.”
The spokesperson, while commenting on the visit by Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi, said that Pakistan believes in dialogue and diplomacy. “Various issues were discussed during the visit of the Afghan minister of commerce.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan has termed former Indian diplomat Ajay Bisaria’s claims regarding events relating to the 2019 botched Balakot strike as “surprising”.
“Such a statement from a professional diplomat is surprising,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that she hasn’t read the book by Bisaria, a former high commissioner to Pakistan, and has only come across the reports regarding it in the media.
“The drama of Pulwama was staged for a political game. It reflects India’s fascist mentality,” she added. Baloch further said that the Balakot airstrike proved to be a nightmare for India, as Pakistan Air Force shot down Indian planes.
Pakistan supports the application filed by South Africa before the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s violations of its obligations under the 1951 genocide convention in relation to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“We consider this legal action timely and an important step towards holding Israel to account for its well-documented atrocities unleashed against Palestinian people since 7th of October 2023,” she said.
