Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Aizaz Chaudhry, in an interview with the state-owned television channel, said it was now Afghanistan’s turn to destroy terrorist safe havens on its soil, while reiterating that Pakistan has destroyed all terrorist safe havens on its soil.
“Pakistan is willing to work with Afghanistan,” he said, adding that Pak-Afghan relations should not only be viewed from the US perspective, and certain points raised in the new US policy for the region are debatable.
Chaudhry also stated that Pakistan has borne losses worth billions in the war on terrorism, while insisting that terrorists present in Pakistan have roots in Afghanistan.
He had said earlier that only Afghan-led dialogue can bring peace in the neighbouring country.
A day earlier Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir rejected the declaration naming terrorist groups in the region by leaders of BRICS countries, saying there are no safe havens for terrorists on Pakistani soil.
Similarly, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence had also strongly condemned the hostile and threatening statements made by US President Donald J Trump and Gen John W Nicholson.
In the resolution adopted by the parliamentary body, the claim of the US president regarding Pakistan providing safe havens for terrorists was rejected.
The committee took strong exemption to the statements and adopted a condemnation resolution unanimously.
On the other hand, Afghanistan on August 22 welcomed Trump’s revised vision for the Afghan war, saying it was the “result of intense deliberations” and took into account “both our countries’ needs and considerations.”
Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hamdullah Mohib also hailed Trump’s announcement.