ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan confirmed on Friday that it has decided to open specific border channels for the passage of UN humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, following formal requests from several UN agencies, a move the Foreign Ministry said reflected Islamabad’s “own commitment to humanitarian access” despite continuing tensions with Kabul.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said in his weekly media briefing that Pakistan had approved a gradual opening of UN aid at the request of organizations including the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and UNFPA.
“In line with our own commitment to humanitarian access and the requests of UN agencies, the government has officially approved the movement of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which will take place in three phases,” he told reporters.
He explained that the first phase would allow containers of food items; the second will cover pharmaceuticals and medical devices; and the third would include “other essential benefits related to education and health.”
The spokesman stressed that the tiered mechanism was designed solely to ensure an orderly flow of aid and should not be interpreted politically. “We do not intend to categorize them for any purpose other than to ensure that it will be seamless and determine how the movement of humanitarian aid will flow into Afghanistan,” he clarified.
Andrabi stressed that while Pakistan facilitated humanitarian relief for ordinary Afghans, the larger border closure remained firmly in place. “Regarding the use of border crossings for the resumption of trade and overall movement… will remain closed,” he said.
He reiterated that Pakistan’s restrictions were linked to security concerns associated with terrorist infiltrations from across the border.
“Pakistan has nothing against the people of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan are our brothers and sisters. We have no intention of harming them,” he said.
“While the closure of borders has a specific context and the rationale behind it remains firm… we remain positive and committed to the issue of assistance to the Afghan people.”
Responding to remarks by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who said Afghanistan would not open its side of the border until Pakistan gave “firm guarantees”, the spokesman suggested Kabul may have misunderstood Islamabad’s move.
“My guess is that perhaps the Afghan spokesman made that statement not fully understanding the opening of the border offer from Pakistan,” he said.
He added that the Afghan side may have assumed that Pakistan had opened the border to trade, while Islamabad’s decision only applied to UN aid shipments.
“It is quite possible … that the Afghan spokesman, in response to this opening for UN humanitarian assistance, may not have understood the full nuance,” Andrabi said.
The spokesman also confirmed that the Turkish delegation, previously announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a mediation effort between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, had not yet arrived.
“Pakistan welcomed the announcement… We are ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived yet and I am not aware of any timetable for its arrival,” Andrabi said.
He dismissed suggestions that Pakistan was unwilling to participate in mediation.
“It cannot be attributed to Pakistan’s cooperation that the Turkish delegation has not arrived yet. Pakistan was open and ready… perhaps due to lack of cooperation from the Taliban. You have to ask the Taliban regime about this.”
On media reports claiming Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban held talks in Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said he had no information.
“We are not aware of these negotiations and I have no comment on this,” he said, adding earlier that “I have no information about the talks you mentioned. If I receive any information, I will share it with you.”
Asked about a UN report suggesting increased Taliban-India engagement, the spokesman said such cooperation had existed historically but was only of concern if it was directed at Pakistan.
“This kind of collusion has been there… and this is obviously disturbing to the extent that it is anti-Pakistan,” he said.
He added: “If the two countries cooperate on peaceful issues… Pakistan has no problem with that. Our problem starts when a third country sees relations with Afghanistan in a zero-sum paradigm with Pakistan.”
Responding to a question about allegations that Pakistan had used Israeli spyware, Andrabi denied the reports outright.
“This is all media speculation. It’s all hearsay misinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or other tools of that nature. So I will reject it, absolutely emphatically,” he said.
On the occasion of 33 years since the demolition of the Babri Mosque, Andrabi issued an extended statement expressing Pakistan’s concern.
He said the event “remains disturbing to all who oppose intolerance and religious discrimination,” adding that safeguarding Muslim heritage was “a shared responsibility of the international community.”
He called on India to promote “tolerance and inclusiveness” and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to protecting the rights of minorities at home.
The spokesman also confirmed that Pakistani missions in Thailand and Myanmar were closely coordinating the repatriation of nationals stranded or detained in the region.
“Our two missions are involved in resolving this matter… The presence of these Pakistanis in Myanmar is unfortunate,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s priorities were their safe return and preventing future human trafficking scams.
