Pak-Afghanistan agree on joint work against terrorism

Muhammad Asad
ISLAMABAD: The recent visit of a high-level Pakistani delegation led by the Minister for Defense, Khawaja Muhammad Asif remained fruitful and both sides agreed on joint work against terrorist groups. It was shared by the Spokesperson of Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Ms. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
While responding to a media query regarding the recent visit of a high-level delegation to Kabul, Zahra told the media that Pakistan and Afghanistan had been discussing all avenues of cooperation, security, and terrorism threats from the banned TTP and IS-K was on top of the agenda. There had been in-depth discussion on the recent increase in terrorist attacks by the TTP inside Pakistan, while Afghan authorities have assured Pakistan of all possible help in this regard, added Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
To another question regarding the deteriorating security situation in Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, the Spokesperson said that Pakistan is seriously concerned regarding the security of the Palestinian people who continuously met brutal suppression by the Israeli authorities.
According to Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan consistently maintained that there should be a complete withdrawal of Israel from occupied Arab territories including Jerusalem along with the reinstitution of Palestinians’ inalienable right to self-determination and sovereignty in an independent and viable state of Palestine based on pre-1967 boundaries with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its Capital.
While responding to a media query regarding the recent statement of US Counselor Derek Chollet regarding Pak-China ties, Mumtaz noted that Pakistan, being a sovereign state exercises the right to choose its economic partners from around the globe on a mutually common beneficial basis. According to her, Pakistan considers China an all-weather strategic economic partner and a consistent, generous, and steadfast friend that always stood by Pakistan for the last several decades. While commenting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan believes that peace and dialogue are important for the resolution of the dispute.