Pakistan calls on Afghanistan to eliminate terror safe havens: Aziz

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday called Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar and urged to take strong action against terror elements and reaffirm that its soil was not used for terrorism in Pakistan.

According to a statement by the Foreign Office, Sartaj Aziz underlined that the government and the people of Pakistan were in a state of deep anguish at the recent terrorist incidents in various parts of Pakistan resulting in loss of precious lives.

He conveyed that the proscribed outfit Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) was behind these barbaric acts of terrorism, and expressed serious concern it continues to operate from sanctuaries and safe haven in Afghanistan.

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He decried that government of Afghanistan had not paid heed to repeated calls by Pakistan to take action against the group and its activities based in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has also shared a list of suspected terrorists with the Afghan government for immediate action against them. Afghan officials were summoned to the General Headquarters and provided a list to either take action or hand them over to Pakistan.

Mr. Aziz underscored that terrorism was a common threat and its elimination required close cooperation which includes effective border management to prevent the movement of terrorist elements across the border.

The Afghan National Security Adviser expressed his condolences over the loss of lives in the recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan.