Pakistan wants end of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, Aziz tells Britain’s NSA

LONDON: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has told Britain and Afghanistan that his country wants to see a stable and peaceful Afghanistan and remains keen to resolve all the outstanding issues for regional peace and stability.

PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz met Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar twice in two days to discuss the latest round of issues, mainly Pakistan’s concern that Afghan soil is being used to launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Geo News has learnt that Aziz made these remarks during a high-level meeting here at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) which was arranged by Britain between Pakistan and Afghanistan following the rise of tensions between the two countries after a spate of terror attacks inside Pakistani mainland. An FCO spokesman confirmed the meetings, but didn’t divulge details. “We don’t comment on the nature of NSA meetings,” he said.

Sartaj Aziz, Britain’s National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grantn and Hanif Atmar met in two sessions for talks. The first meeting was held in the evening on Wednesday and the second took place on Thursday.

Mark Lyall Grant asked both countries to ease tensions and work together to defeat common challenges of security and terrorism. He said the future of both countries was linked to each other and therefore it was important to cooperate.

Sartaj Aziz told the meeting that Pakistan has suffered as a result of terrorism originating from Afghanistan, a source told Geo News. He said that Pakistan has always rendered sacrifices for Afghanistan and will continue to help Kabul in any way possible, but complained that recent attacks inside Pakistan showed that Afghanistan government was not taking action against militant groups operating against Pakistan’s sovereignty using the Afghan soil.

The PM’s adviser said that it was Pakistan’s long-held belief that a stable and strong Afghanistan suited Pakistan’s regional goals of achieving peace and stability. Aziz said that Pakistan wants to cooperate with Afghanistan on all matters and wants the same in return. He appealed the Afghan government to take action against terrorists on its side and be responsible.

Privately, a government source told this scribe that the UK wants to defuse tensions between the two countries because cordial relations between the two countries are essential to hold together the fragile situation in Afghanistan. He said that both countries recognised that border tensions have spilled over and there was need for them to control the situation.

Pakistani officials have blamed Afghan government elements for hosting and helping terror groups responsible for these attacks.

The closure of Afghanistan-Pakistan border, following incursions by terrorists inside Pakistan using Afghan soil, has caused misery to tens of thousands of people who move across the border daily.