Neighbouring country using Afghan soil for terror: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday said it was committed to peace in Afghanistan but a neighbouring country was using the Afghan soil against it for terrorism.

“Pakistan remains concerned that the Afghan soil is being increasingly used by a neighbour for subversive activities inside Pakistan and terror financing,” Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.

Zakaria said it required a strong commitment for Pakistan and Afghanistan not to let their territories be used against each other.Pakistan was abiding by this solemn commitment, he said, adding that it was important for both Pakistan and Afghanistan to work closely together for peace, progress and stability of the region.

He expressed disappointment over the unhelpful statements made by the Afghan leadership against Pakistan, terming these in complete disregard to the efforts Pakistan was making for peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“We firmly believe that peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s interest and is also necessary for stability and progress of the region.”The spokesman said Pakistan’s efforts for peace, stability and economic progress of Afghanistan was a matter of commitment to the brotherly people of Afghanistan while millions of them are being hosted by Pakistan for the past 37 years.

He said under a transit trade agreement between the two countries, Pakistan was facilitating the movement of Afghan exports and imports through its ports. “We have also been facilitating the transit of Afghan fruits to India through Wagah,” he said.

Zakaria said the Pakistani security forces were engaged in a valiant fight against terrorism and their efforts were making immense contribution to securing the porous border to help bring lasting peace to Afghanistan and the region,” he added. — APP

Sabah adds: The Foreign Office on Friday said India had expressed its readiness to share the material evidence about the 2008 Mumbai attacks with Pakistan.According to a private TV report, replying to the Pakistan foreign secretary’s letter, the Indian foreign secretary in his letter expressed his government’s readiness to share the material evidence which Pakistan had been seeking for quite some time for the Mumbai trial, said spokesperson for the Foreign Office Nafees Zakaria.

The spokesperson said the material evidence and cross-examination of prosecution witnesses was needed to proceed further with the trial in Pakistan as per the law of the land.Legal aspects and modalities of the proposal contained in the Indian foreign secretary’s letter are currently being examined by our legal experts, elaborated Zakaria.

Earlier in August, the arrest of an alleged financier of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks was termed a breakthrough in the otherwise stalled case but it may delay the conclusion of the trial pending with an anti-terrorism court (ATC) since 2009.

In January, Islamabad asked the Indian government to send the 24 witnesses to Pakistan to testify against the seven suspects, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the attacks.

Lakhvi and the other suspects Abdul Wajid Mazhar Iqbal Hammad Amin Sadiq Shahid Jameel Riaz Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum are being tried by the ATC in Islamabad.The prosecution completed the testimony of the 68 Pakistani witnesses earlier this year.