Pakistan rejects Afghan, Indian allegations in UNSC meeting about terrorist safe havens

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram slammed India, the UNSC’s president for the month of August, for not inviting Islamabad to the Council’s meeting on Afghanistan.

He made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, hours after the UN Security Council’s meeting.

Munir Akram said that India had violated the UNSC rules by denying Pakistan the opportunity to address the 15-member body as a neighbouring country with a vital stake in peace in Afghanistan.

"We made a formal request for participation but it was denied. Obviously, we do not expect fairness from the Indian presidency for Pakistan."

He said that Pakistan's complete statement will be circulated to the UNSC members.

Rejecting Indian and Afghan allegations about the existence of safe havens and cross-border movement of Taliban fighters as "mere fantasies", the envoy said the Pakistani government has fenced the Pak-Afghan border which is now closed.

There were no terrorist safe havens left after Pakistani military's effective operations in Waziristan and other areas, and that the fencing of the border was now 97% complete to prevent cross-border movement, he added.

Ambassador Akram also slammed regional “spoilers” who he said were attempting to derail the Afghan peace process.

He warned against spoilers, "both within and outside Afghanistan” against their machinations to promote their vested interests.

Ambassador Akram said that Pakistan was suffering from a spate of attacks from Tehreek-i-Pakistan and Da'esh terrorists from the Afghan territory. "So, the shoe is on the other foot."

The Pakistani envoy said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had consistently called for a political solution as the only way to restore durable peace and security in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan therefore welcomed the international consensus which has emerged that the best means of securing peace and stability is through a political solution negotiated between parties to the conflict," he said.

"We helped convene the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha in September 2020," he said while highlighting Pakistan's role in the peace process.