ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday chaired a special meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) of the Cabinet to review issues of national and regional security.
With the June 1 Kabul bomb attack that took 90 lives and injured hundreds more in the backdrop, the meeting took special notice of Afghanistan’s clearly-worded criticism over Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the attack.
“What will it take to convince Pakistan that a stable Afghanistan helps them and helps our region?” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had asked a high-level gathering of 23 nations, the European Union, the United Nations and Nato, on Tuesday.
In the NSC meeting, Pakistani officials said they “strongly rejected” the baseless allegations leveled on Pakistan while strongly condemning the Kabul bombing and resolving to remain steadfast and resolute in support of the Afghan people.
It was highlighted that Pakistan was the only country in the region which has achieved clear and measurable success against terrorism, despite having limited resources and having borne considerable human and economic losses.
A statement issued after the meeting said Pakistan has not only remained committed to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, but also worked with all regional and global initiatives to that end. At the same time, the participants of the meeting held that Pakistan has shown exceptional restraint even when Afghan territory was used for terrorist acts in Pakistan, which resulted in extreme human losses.
In addition, the statement presented that Pakistan was fully cognizant of institutional collaboration by elements hostile to Pakistan and would defend itself resolutely against manifest and future threats.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, DG ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and senior civil and military officials.
In the past, Pakistan and Afghanistan have accused each other of harboring terrorists. In February earlier this year, the Afghan foreign ministry demanded arrest and handover of 85 leaders of Taliban, Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups and action against 32 alleged terrorist training centres that it claimed were based in Pakistan.
Preceding that demand, Pakistan had handed over a similar list of 76 Pakistani terrorists based in Afghanistan, and asked for their arrest and handover.
