ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reaffirmed its stance of not engaging in talks with terrorist organisations such as Afghanistan-based Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that do not abide by the country’s laws and constitution.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch made this statement during her weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
This stance was also agreed upon during the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Islamabad, where it was emphasized that regional security challenges should be tackled and territories should not be used for terrorist activities by any individual or group, including the TTP and the Turkistan Islamic Party, or ETIM.
Regarding the situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson said that the oppression in the region continues to persist and human rights violations must end.
Pakistan will continue to speak out against these serious and systematic violations and extend political, diplomatic, and moral support to its brothers and sisters in Kashmir for a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
In response to a question, Baloch reiterated that Pakistan has the capability to address all domestic challenges within the framework of its laws and constitution.
She also welcomed Syria’s return to the Arab League folder after 12 years as a positive development that could contribute to regional peace and security.
The forum approved Syria’s readmission at a closed-door meeting in Cairo on Sunday. It means President Bashar Assad can attend the league’s summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 19, further cementing his move out of pariah status.
