Islamabad, Jun 4 (PTI) Pakistan said on Thursday that it would continue to take action when necessary against the terrorists operating from Afghanistan while showing preference for a negotiated solution to the issue.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at the weekly press briefing that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism and thousands of its innocent civilians have been killed, while its security forces have also suffered as a result of planned, financed, and orchestrated terrorist acts emanating from Afghan soil.
“No responsible state can remain passive when its civilians and security forces are repeatedly targeted. Therefore, we reserve the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard the lives and property of our nationals, based on the principles of necessity and as a measure of last resort,” he said.
He added that Pakistan adheres to the principles of distinction and proportionality while taking any defensive action which is directed against legitimate targets under international law, including sanctuaries and bases used for planning terrorism and launching terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
“We will continue to take such actions when necessary, and this remains part of our dialogue with our international interlocutors. This is our broad on the matter, I believe this may have been part of the exchange that took place between our side and the European Union,” he said in response to a question about a discussion with an EU delegation which visited recently.
Andrabi also said that Pakistan supports dialogue and diplomacy with Afghanistan, and it was pursuing dialogue until very recently, when terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan, with possible collusion from elements within the authorities there, surpassed a certain threshold of Pakistan’s patience, resulting in certain actions in the border regions.
“Our position remains that while we want dialogue and wish to pursue the path of diplomacy, we cannot allow the killing of Pakistani civilians and members of our law enforcement agencies by elements based in Afghanistan, or by those operating with the collusion of authorities there, to continue unchecked,” he said.
To a question about a visit by the Chinese envoy, Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, he said Pakistan adopted a position that the Afghan side should give an unequivocal commitment that its territory will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
“This is what we communicated to the Chinese side and, indeed, to all our interlocutors, including the European Union and during recent bilateral engagements,” he said.
He also confirmed that Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, who was in Islamabad, held productive discussions on regional security as the two sides discussed not only the threat posed by the TTP, or Fitna al-Khawarij, but also the threat posed by ETIM, which is a threat to China and is a designated terrorist organisation.
“Pakistan and China agreed to strengthen coordination and synchronise their counterterrorism efforts to protect regional peace and security. We appreciate China’s constructive role on security issues in general, including the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. We will continue to engage with our Chinese interlocutors on this subject,” he said. PTI SH AMS
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