President Asif Ali Zardari has reaffirmed that Pakistan remains firmly committed to safeguarding its national interests, regional sovereignty, and security.
In a statement, the President said that Pakistan will never accept any disputed or misleading position on Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating that India’s unlawful claims over the territory are contrary to international law and the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
President Zardari said it is unfortunate that the current Interim Afghan administration has turned away from the just struggle of the oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, thereby doing injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah.
He noted that attacks launched from the territory of the Interim Afghan Government by India-backed Khawarij terrorists are a well-documented reality, confirmed in successive United Nations Security Council monitoring reports. Pakistan, he said, has repeatedly made it clear that its civilians and security personnel are being targeted through the nexus of the Indian sponsored Khawarij and other terror groups.
President Zardari urged the Interim Afghan government to take concrete and verifiable action against anti-Pakistan terrorist elements operating from the Afghan soil. He emphasized that terror menace of the Khawarij and other terror groups sponsored by India remain the greatest threat to regional peace and stability.
He said terrorism is a shared challenge and its burden cannot be placed on any single country.
He said Pakistan has demonstrated Islamic fraternity and exemplary neighborliness by hosting millions of Afghan refugees for over four decades. He said the dignified repatriation of Afghan citizens is in the interest of both countries and essential for sustainable peace.
President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to support the educational and humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, but no compromise will ever be made on Pakistan’s national sovereignty.
He recalled that Pakistan has extended all possible facilitation to Afghanistan in trade, economic connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. Mutual cooperation and economic partnership, he said, are the foundation for lasting peace and regional prosperity.
President Zardari underscored that Pakistan desires a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. He said brotherly relations must be based on mutual respect, security cooperation, and a shared commitment to regional peace.
The President expressed hope that the Interim Afghan Government will prevent its soil from being used by Khwarij and India-backed terrorist elements against Pakistan, stressing that only joint and practical measures can guarantee enduring peace in the region.
