News Desk |
Rejecting the allegations leveled by the US in its threat assessment report, foreign office spokesperson has said that such controversial statements will be counterproductive and have the potential to adversely affect the peace and stability of the region.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal made these statements during his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. He said, “We have raised the issue with US side; Pakistan has played an exemplary role in the war against terrorism rendering immense sacrifices in men and material”.
Dr. Faisal said Pakistan rejects all the allegations of the threat assessment report and it continues to play its constructive role for stabilizing the region.
Earlier, presenting its report to a US Senate committee, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats had said that Pakistan is playing a double game and using certain militant groups to carry out activities which are against U.S interest in the region. He was making a broad assessment of how the dynamics in South Asia could potentially be altered as the result of general elections being held in India and Afghanistan in the year 2019.
The National Intelligence director in his remarks predicted that in the coming year, “militant groups in Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven there to plan and conduct attacks in neighboring countries and possibly beyond.”
He accused Pakistan of allowing the country’s territory for being used against the terrorist plots in neighboring countries India and Afghanistan, where the interest of United States of America are most likely to be hurt in the process.
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Dr. Faisal said Pakistan rejects all the allegations of the threat assessment report and it continues to play its constructive role for stabilizing the region. Responding to a question about Afghan peace talks the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan has on the request of the United States and Afghanistan facilitated the Afghan peace process and dialogue with the Taliban as a shared responsibility for peace in the region.
He said there are certain actors who want perpetual conflict in the region for their vested interests but Pakistan urges the United States, Afghanistan and Taliban to remain watchful of these detracting elements who are trying to undermine the nascent peace process.
The National Intelligence director in his remarks predicted that in the coming year, “militant groups in Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven there to plan and conduct attacks in neighboring countries and possibly beyond.”
To another question, Dr. Muhammad Faisal said the announcement by Pakistan`s Prime Minister about keeping open the Torkham border is a major step to promote bilateral trade and people to people contacts with Afghanistan. He said Pakistan has always emphasized the need for deepening bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
The Spokesperson said with the efforts of Pakistan`s embassy in Kabul and consulate in Qandahar a Pakistani prisoner Ejaz Shah has been released before seven months of completion of his sentence and has been handed over to Pakistani authorities by Afghanistan.
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Replying to a question regarding the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities, the spokesperson said that India is callously continuing with state-sponsored terrorism and it should alleviate Pakistan`s concerns regarding the use of Afghan soil for launching terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil instead of leveling farfetched allegations against Islamabad.