Pakistan Views

Foreign Office on Monday summoned Afghanistan’s ambassador to protest President Hamid Karzai’s threat to send Afghan troops to fight notorious Taliban leaders inside Pakistan. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said a “strong protest” has been lodged with Afghan Ambassador Anwar Anwarzai at the Foreign Ministry.
Karzai said on Sunday that Afghanistan has the right to send troops into Pakistan because Taliban militants cross over from Pakistan to attack Afghan and foreign forces.

Pakistan on Sunday once again clarified that on Pakistan side of the border along Afghanistan it is the Pakistani troops who have the sole responsibility to take action against the terrorists.

Commenting on the statement of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Foreign Office Spokesman Mohammad Sadiq while talking to APP said, “We have seen President Karzai’s statement on the media. We hope that it is not the reinitiating of the blame game by Afghanistan.”

The Spokesman said Pakistan has a clear position on the military action-on the Afghan side of the border, the Afghan national army (ANA), ISAF and US army could take whatever action they want against the terrorists. He further said that on the Pakistani side of the border it is the Pakistani troops who have the sole responsibility to take action.

Any statement that negated this basic principle and did not show respect for the territorial sovereignty would not help in the war on terrorism and could be counterproductive, he added. The Spokesman said, “Pakistan shall defend its territorial sovereignty.”