Muttaqi: Pakistan Asked Afghanistan to Guarantee Its Security
Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has emphasized that the main reason for the failure of talks between Kabul and Islamabad was the Pakistani delegation’s unreasonable demands.
While stressing the importance of good relations with Pakistan, Muttaqi warned that any violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity would receive a firm response.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Foreign Ministry’s Diplomacy Institute, Muttaqi said: “The Pakistani representatives made demands during negotiations that were neither practical nor reasonable. One of their demands was: ‘Give us a guarantee that there will be no more security incidents in Pakistan.’”
He reiterated that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks engagement and friendly relations with Pakistan based on mutual respect. However, he cautioned that if certain parties attempt to implement projects against Afghanistan’s sovereignty, the Islamic Emirate is fully prepared to defend its territorial integrity.
“Our efforts are aimed at bringing goodness to them. A Muslim should bring benefit to another Muslim. But if certain circles implement such projects, then Afghanistan also has the right to defend itself, and it will,” the Foreign Minister added.
Muttaqi further noted that Pakistan’s issues are long-standing, but now the country is trying to link them to Afghanistan.
He said: “Pakistan’s problems are not new. Don’t you know that the TTP has been active in Pakistan for the past 25 years? Didn’t the Pakistani government itself declare that 70 to 80 thousand of their people were killed during the past two decades of conflict?”
The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate said that Pakistan is using its power to pressure Afghanistan by closing trade routes and manipulating refugee-related issues.
