Says Delhi sponsors terrorists operating from Afghan soil.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Wednesday strongly rejected India’s criticism of its latest military crackdown on terror hideouts in Afghanistan, calling New Delhi’s statement “baseless” and saying India was actively sponsoring terror groups operating against Pakistan from Afghan soil.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued the response after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned Pakistan’s cross-border attacks, describing them as a “blatant act of aggression” and a threat to regional peace and stability. India had also claimed that the strikes reflected Pakistan’s “persistent pattern of reckless behaviour” and amounted to an attempt to “externalise its internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders”.
Responding to the Indian allegations, State Department spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan’s actions were “legitimate, targeted and proportionate” measures against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan rejects the baseless statement of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan’s legitimate, targeted and proportionate actions against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan,” the spokesman said.
The State Department further described India’s remarks as “peculiar” and said they had been made by a country that had historically interfered with and undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors in violation of the UN Charter.
The spokesman also pointed out that India continued to suppress the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of relevant UN resolutions.
It further said that India had “actively aided and sponsored terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan” in violation of the relevant UN Security Council sanctions regime and continued to play the role of a regional spoiler.
“Such baseless allegations and inflammatory statements against Pakistan must not be entertained,” the FO said.
The statement reiterated that Pakistan will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of its citizens in accordance with international law.
The latest exchange came days after Pakistan carried out intelligence-based operations and airstrikes targeting what it described as terrorist hideouts along the border with Afghanistan following the deadly Karachi attack claimed by the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Islamabad maintains that the perpetrators of several recent terrorist attacks have operated from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
