Pakistan on Saturday summoned the Afghan ambassador to express its “strong reservations” over references made to Jammu and Kashmir in the India-Afghanistan joint statement issued in New Delhi on Friday. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said the Additional Foreign Secretary (West Asia & Afghanistan) conveyed Pakistan’s strong objection to the Afghan envoy over the mention of Jammu and Kashmir. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is currently on a six-day visit to India.
“It was conveyed that the reference to Jammu and Kashmir as part of India is in clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions…,” the Foreign Office said.
The joint statement said Afghanistan had condemned the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and extended its condolences and solidarity with the people and Government of India. It added that both sides firmly condemned terrorism in all forms coming from regional countries and highlighted the need to strengthen peace, stability, and mutual trust in the region.
Islamabad also dismissed Muttaqi’s claim that terrorism is an internal matter for Pakistan.
The statement stressed that blaming Pakistan for terrorism does not free the Afghan Interim Government from its duty to maintain peace and stability in the region.
“Like all other countries, Pakistan has the right to regulate the presence of foreign nationals residing inside its territory,” it said, adding that Islamabad continued to issue medical and study visas to Afghan citizens “in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and good neighbourly relations”.
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