Pakistan Raises Security Concerns Over Afghanistan in London
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar raised Islamabad’s concerns about the activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan with British officials during his official visit to London, as domestic political pressure grows to review Pakistan’s relations with its neighbours.
According to Irav, in a meeting with Ed Miliband, Britain’s foreign secretary and national security adviser, he stressed the need for the “continuation of engagement to advance peace and regional stability.” The talks focused on security and regional developments.
Inside Pakistan, too, the Awami National Party has called on the government to rebuild its foreign policy towards its neighbours on the basis of diplomacy and dialogue. Aimal Wali Khan, the party’s leader, said the current tensions were placing the greatest burden on people on both sides, especially in Pashtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Criticising the continued tensions, he added: “War is not the solution to any problem; the only path to lasting peace is diplomacy and dialogue.” According to him, border closures and damage to trade have created serious problems for people on both sides of the border and have brought Pakistan-Afghanistan relations to a worrying state.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry said last Thursday that the Taliban administration must be “verified” over terrorist groups and take practical measures. According to him, Islamabad expects the Taliban administration to demonstrate the ability and will needed to prevent the activities of groups that threaten Pakistan’s security.
These positions come as the Taliban administration has said in recent weeks that it does not want continued tensions with any country, especially Pakistan, and is seeking to return bilateral relations to normal. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long and busy border, and any tensions in these relations usually have a direct impact on people’s movement and cross-border trade.
