Pakistan Says It Seeks Peace, Not War, With Afghanistan

DID Press: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said Islamabad does not want a war or conflict with Afghanistan, while accusing the Taliban of supporting the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and describing the issue as the biggest obstacle to improving relations between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan considers the Afghan people “brothers and sisters” and wants peaceful and cooperative relations with its neighbor.

Speaking about Islamabad-Kabul relations, Andrabi said Pakistan was not seeking war with Afghanistan, but security concerns and the activities of the TTP remained among the most serious challenges facing bilateral relations.

He alleged that Taliban support for the TTP was the main obstacle to improving ties and said the issue needed to be resolved.

Andrabi called on the Taliban to adopt a clear position on the future of its relations with Pakistan and clarify whether it wanted to expand cooperation with Islamabad or continue its alleged ties and support for the TTP.

The Pakistani spokesperson also stressed that the two countries share deep historical, cultural and social ties and that Islamabad wants peaceful relations with Afghanistan.

However, he said Pakistan could not ignore its security concerns over the activities of armed groups.