Pakistan concerned over weapons left by US in Afghanistan: FO
Pakistan
The spokesman said Pakistan desired friendly cooperative relationship with Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan on Friday expressed concern over the weapons left by the United States in Afghanistan as those were being used to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.
At his weekly news briefing here, Khan said “we have impressed upon international community and Afghan authorities to address this issue.”
The spokesman said Pakistan desired friendly cooperative relationship with Afghanistan but the stumbling block in the way of progress has been sanctuaries enjoyed by terrorists on Afghan territory.
He said Pakistan would continue to pursue various channels of communications with the Afghan authorities to address this matter.
As regards the closure of Torkham border, spokesman Khan said operational constraints forced Pakistan to take this action. He mentioned that the Afghan side was trying to construct a border post on our side unilaterally.
He said Pakistan has urged the Afghan authorities to resolve such issues through bilateral mechanisms such as Joint Coordination Committee meeting instead of resorting to unilateral actions. He hoped the matter will be resolved through dialogue.
Responding to a question, Khan said F-16 oversight programme is a regular feature of Pakistan-US defence collaboration. Pakistan welcomes its continuation.
He said this is a robust and dense relationship, expressing Pakistan's commitment to carrying this relationship forward.
The spokesman said eight Pakistanis, who were staying illegally in the US, have returned home yesterday.
