Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa on Sunday pressed Afghanistan to cooperate in stopping the to and fro movement of terrorists from across the border, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Asif Ghafoor in a statement.

The ISPR DG tweeted that the army chief suggested installing a “robust border management mechanism and intelligence cooperation” to restrict the movement of terrorists.

“Elements inimical to peace in the region are strengthened by blame game,” the statement read.

“All safe havens of terrorists have been eliminated from Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying.

Gen Bajwa reportedly empathised on the tragic series of events that unrolled on the people of both the brotherly countries over the last few years.

He reiterated Pakistan’s cooperation with the Afghan government and its people to eliminate the scourge of terrorism that is affecting peace and destabilising the region.

“Pakistan has come a long way in its fight against terrorism of all hue and colour,” the statement read, adding, “All safe havens [of militants] have been eliminated in the process.”

“Both nations should rather focus on capitalising the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in Pakistan,” he added.

Ghani thanked Bajwa for his sentiment and echoed his resolve in improving peace and stability in the region.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) has once again rejected allegations of terrorist safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), saying Pakistan does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against any other country. To questions during the weekly news briefing, FO Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said Afghanistan was infested with a number of terrorist organisations due to its instability.

This, he added, created space for terrorist elements such as Haqqani network’s leadership, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Daesh, and al Qaeda, among other terrorist organisations. “It is, therefore, not appropriate to blame others for the adversities due to the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. The oft repeated claims regarding safe havens are, therefore, more of rhetoric than anything else,” the spokesperson maintained.

Zakaria was responding to an anti-Pakistan rant by Kabul after the twin suicide blasts near the Afghan parliament earlier this week killed scores of people.

The United States, too, did not shied away from endorsing Kabul’s claim that “the existence of safe havens in FATA allowed terrorists to carry out attacks inside Afghanistan whenever they want”, a charge Islamabad rejects as baseless.

US State Department Spokesman Mark Toner had said that Pakistan “had made some progress and had taken some steps to address these safe havens, but clearly the problem persists”.

“That’s why the United States continues to urge Pakistan to act against all terrorist groups without any discrimination and was willing to help them do so, Toner said, adding: “The remoteness of the area and the military’s tactical limitations prevent Islamabad from eliminating all terrorist safe havens.”

Zakaria emphasised that foreign elements were exploiting the situation, using Afghan soil against Pakistan, in particular, and the region in general. “The activities of Indian spy agency – Research and Analysis Wing – and its nexus with Afghan agency – NDS – remain a matter of deep concern for Pakistan.”

He highlighted that Pakistan’s contribution to fight against terrorism and its sacrifices were acknowledged by the world, including the United States and European Union.

Pakistan, he added, lost thousands of its citizens and economic losses of more than $100 billion due to terrorism. “The success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb are manifested in the improved security and economic situation, particularly at Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” he said.

Zakaria reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to peace efforts in Afghanistan, as it was not only in the interest of the region, but more importantly itself. “It is unfortunate that the country’s sincere efforts towards stability in Afghanistan are being maligned,” he added.

The spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan’s policy of cooperation with the international community to defeat terrorism. “Pakistan will not indulge in blame game and expects others to do the same.”