LAHORE/KARACHI:
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned Afghanistan’s recent provocations and reaffirmed that Pakistan would defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity against all threats.
In their separate statements, the President and Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace, emphasizing that mutual cooperation, economic partnership and security coordination remain essential for lasting stability and prosperity in South Asia.
President Zardari, in a statement issued by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) media cell, noted that there were reports from the United Nations indicating that “proven” terrorist attacks had been carried out from Afghan soil. However, he also emphasized that joint counterterrorism efforts were the key to long-term regional peace.
Stating that no compromise will be made on Pakistan’s sovereignty, Zardari said that the attacks launched by the Afghan Taliban regime are a well-documented reality and confirmed in successive reports of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
President Zardari urged the Afghan Taliban regime to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against anti-Pakistan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil. He termed the threat of “Indian-sponsored” terrorism as the “biggest threat to regional peace and stability”.
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz paid tribute to Pakistan Army for its “effective and comprehensive” response to Afghanistan’s provocations and for successfully targeting hideouts of terrorists operating across the border.
He praised the professionalism of the armed forces in defending the nation’s borders and paid tribute to the 23 security personnel who embraced martyrdom in anti-terror operations. “I am proud of the professional excellence of the Pakistan Armed Forces.”
The prime minister reiterated that any act of aggression would receive a firm and effective response. He assured the families of the martyrs of the nation’s eternal gratitude and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Shehbaz said Pakistan had repeatedly shared information with the Afghan Taliban regime about the presence of terrorist elements like fitna-e-Khawarij and fitna-e-Hindustan using Afghan territory to carry out attacks.
He urged the Afghan Taliban regime to ensure its soil was not used against Pakistan, warning that attempts to undermine the country’s security would be met with decisive action.
