ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Tuesday reiterated that there were not any terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan as the country had cleansed its areas of miscreants.
She was briefing the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on the situation emerging in the aftermath of the America’s Afghan policy and recent top-level meetings between Pakistan and the US leadership.
Janjua said 40 per cent areas of Afghanistan were ungoverned and they housed terrorist sanctuaries.
She told the Senate committee that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the militant Islamic State were perpetuating terrorist activities against Pakistan.
The Foreign secretary said the Indian spy agency was using the Afghan soil to carry out subversive activities in Pakistan. “Enhanced Indian role in the region was unacceptable,” she said.
The Foreign Secretary said that the United States has been informed of the fact that Indian intelligence agency, RAW, was using Afghan soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan. “Enhanced Indian role in the region was unacceptable,” she added.
The foreign secretary said Pakistan was taking effective measures for border management with Afghanistan. She said the United States was ready to mediate between Pakistan and India over Kashmir issue.
She said Pakistan was making concerted efforts to secure its frontiers with Afghanistan. “Pakistan had told America to provide useful information about presence of militants, it will take action.”
She rejected the concerns of the US on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Janjua said the Pakistan’s leadership raised the issue of Kashmir during meetings with the US authorities. “They are ready to mediate between Pakistan and India for resolution of the Kashmir issue.”
Briefing the committee about Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent visit to Kabul, she said it was an important trip. “Key meetings with Afghan civilian and military leadership were held during the visit,” she said.
Both countries are in agreement over several issues, including border management, enhancing trade and setting up five working groups.
The Foreign Relations Committee expressed its concern over the fact that all Pakistani chairs abroad were lying vacant and no concrete steps had been taken to fill them.
The committee called upon the government to immediately fill the slots as there was a dire need to effectively project the soft image of the country.
The meeting was presided over by committee chairperson Senator Nuzhat Sadiq. Senators Muzafar Hussain Shah, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Muhammad Daud Khan Achakzai, Haji Momin Khan Afridi and Karim Ahmed Khawaja attended the meeting.
The committee had earlier been informed that 14 chairs at various universities abroad were lying vacant.
Published in Daily Times, November 8th 2017.
