The Foreign Office Thursday distanced itself from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s visit to Kabul, stating that the government of Pakistan is not supporting it.
FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, addressing the weekly press briefing in Islamabad, first refused to comment on the visit, but later maintained that the politician has gone to Afghanistan in a private capacity.
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However, she added, that the FO will seek a briefing from him about it.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan is not interested in dialogue with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “The outlawed TTP carried out several terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. We demand that the Afghan interim government take action against the terrorists.”
The FO spokesperson said that Pakistan believes in dialogue and diplomacy while commenting on the visit by Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi.
“Various issues were discussed during the visit of the Afghan minister of commerce.”
‘Balakot airstrike, a nightmare for India’
Meanwhile, Pakistan has termed former Indian diplomat Ajay Bisaria’s claims regarding events relating to the 2019 botched Balakot strike as “surprising”.
“Such a statement from a professional diplomat is surprising,” said FO spokesperson.
The FO spokesperson said that she hasn’t read the book by Bisaria — a former high commissioner to Pakistan — and has only come across the reports regarding it in the media.
“The drama of Pulwama was staged for a political game. It reflects India’s fascist mentality,” she added.
