NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday said that Pakistan has an increased threat from terrorist organizations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-K (Islamic State – Khorasan Province).
Foreign Minister Jilani expressed concern over the groups’ ability to use Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistan. He was speaking on Pakistan’s foreign policy and its quest for peace, stability, and shared prosperity at a conference of Asia Society, organized on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
Jilani said that Pakistan remained closely engaged with the interim government of Afghanistan on the matter. Underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to fighting and defeating the terrorists, the foreign minister stressed that terrorist groups trying to gain a foothold in Afghanistan should be treated as a threat to the neighboring countries and the whole international community.
After Afghanistan itself, Jilani said, Pakistan had the greatest stake in Afghanistan and in the peace within and with its regional and international partners. He said that this objective lies at the heart of Pakistan’s efforts to directly engage with the Afghan authorities as well as cooperate with the global community on Afghanistan.
Pakistan Hosting Afghan Refugees
The foreign minister said that Pakistan had been hosting millions of Afghan refugees for decades and would continue to work with the Afghan interim government and the global community for their return to their homeland. He said that Pakistan shared the global community’s concerns over the human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly problems related to women’s rights, their employment, and girls’ education.
He further said that de-linking aid from political considerations was important to avert humanitarian crises in Afghanistan.
Jilani said Pakistan was committed to playing its part to address the pressing challenges of the time and realize its vision for peace, justice, equity, stability, and shared prosperity.
