Daily Times

ISLAMABAD – Foreign Office on Thursday said that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and favoured a cooperative approach to eliminate the menace from its soil and the region.

“While our resources are overstretched, we remain determined to root out terrorism from the soil of Pakistan and the region, through a cooperative approach,” Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at a weekly press briefing here at the Foreign Office.

To a question about the joint statement issued during French president’s visit to India that urged only Pakistan to expedite Mumbai trial, the spokesman said that terrorism was not only India’s problem but also of Pakistan, region and the world.

The spokesman said that Pakistan had rendered enormous sacrifices while combating terrorism to make the world a safer and better place to live. “Our sacrifices have been appreciated by the international community. We therefore would expect India and France’s joint statement on counter-terrorism to acknowledge this fact,” he said.

He said that it was important to do away with unsubstantiated allegations as it undermined the efforts against terrorism. “We wish India to share the investigation into the Samjhota Express tragedy and expect it to share the report in this regard,” he said.

About a recent interview of US President Barack Obama urging Pakistan to take more serious steps against terrorism, the spokesman said international community including the US had already acknowledged Pakistan’s unflinching commitment to combating terrorism.

He mentioned that Pakistan had suffered enourmous human and financial losses in its counter-terrorism efforts. “At present, Operation Zarb-e-Azb is recognized as the biggest counter-terrorism offensive being conducted against terrorism by a single country in the world,” he said.